A new step towards AI-assisted programming
In a context where artificial intelligence agents are multiplying, Google has just reached a significant milestone. On June 4, 2025, the Mountain View company unveiled Gemini CLI, an autonomous development agent based on Gemini 1.5 Flash technology, available free of charge on the command line. Unlike tools reserved for premium subscribers, Gemini CLI is available to all developers via a simplified yet powerful interface. This announcement marks a clear commitment to democratizing the use of artificial intelligence in software development processes, while accelerating the transition to semi-automated production environments.
An autonomous agent focused on the developer environment
What sets Gemini CLI apart from conventional AI models is its command-line interaction mode. Through the terminal, developers can :
- generate, correct and rewrite code in several languages,
- create automated tests from functional specifications,
- document an existing project by scanning the file structure,
- or summarize logs, identify bugs or suggest performance improvements.
The embedded model, Gemini 1.5 Flash, has been specifically adapted for local tasks, with fast response times, extended contextual understanding and enhanced energy efficiency, facilitating use on standard machines.
Concrete use cases in development teams
The accessibility of Gemini CLI could significantly transform the practices of :
- Continuous deployment: the agent can generate CI/CD scripts adapted to environments such as GitHub Actions, GitLab CI or Jenkins.
- Automated refactoring: in a complex code base, Gemini CLI detects redundant functions, optimizes dependencies and proposes more robust alternatives.
- Accelerated onboarding: a junior developer can interrogate the agent to understand a software architecture or obtain a summary of a framework’s usage.
- Proactive security: the agent identifies vulnerable dependencies (e.g. CVEs) and proposes compatible patches.
According to a study by SlashData (2024), more than 38% of developers worldwide are already using command-line AI assistants, a figure that is growing rapidly in large companies1.
An open-source, inclusive technological breakthrough
Google has chosen to make Gemini CLI open source, enabling companies to integrate it into their own DevOps chains, audit its operation or adapt it to specific needs. The code is available on GitHub with detailed documentation, compatible with Linux, MacOS and WSL on Windows.
This choice is designed to encourage adoption in sovereign or regulated contexts, particularly in companies that wish to retain local control over the execution of AI tasks, without going through the cloud. The agent can be run locally with a small memory footprint, thanks to an adaptive model loading system.
Developing faster… while remaining responsible
Google insists on the ethical safeguards built into Gemini CLI :
- code suggestions are annotated with their probable source (open source, documentation, pure generation),
- a “Safe Output” mode prevents the generation of sensitive scripts (e.g.
rmcommands, SQL injections), - query logs are stored locally to ensure traceability.
These guarantees are designed to address concerns aboutAI in mission-critical environments, in line with the principles of the future European AI Act.2.
At the same time, the company stresses that the human being remains the decision-maker: Gemini CLI is designed as a co-pilot, not as a replacement. The aim is not to generate an entire application autonomously, but toaccompany developers in their daily tasks, leaving them in control.
Towards a new software development grammar
Gemini CLI is part of a broader trend: conversational programming, in which the boundary between human and machine language is becoming blurred. Following in the footsteps of Codex (OpenAI), Cursor IDE and Devin AI, this new open source agent is helping to redefine the role of the developer as the architect of dialogue with the machine.
The challenge then becomes one of training: understanding the limits of generative AI, knowing how to formulate effective prompts, or ensuring the compliance of generated code. Platforms such as GitHub Copilot Labs or Google Developers Hub already offer support modules, illustrating the need to rethink skills in the era of augmented code.
References
1.SlashData. (2024). Developer Nation Survey Q3 2024.
http://www.slashdata.co/
2. European Commission. (2024). AI Act: Proposal for a Regulation on Artificial Intelligence.
http://www.eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021PC0206
