JetBrains Launches AI Coding Agent Junie Amid Mixed User Feedback
JetBrains has introduced a new AI programming agent called Junie, currently available for private preview on Mac and Linux systems. This move signifies the company's shift towards providing intelligent agent AI for developers, rather than just code assistance.
Intelligent agent AI is capable of autonomously completing tasks, not just suggesting code snippets. For instance, developers can input a command like "Implement CRUD operations for a bookmark management system with a user interface," and the agent will execute the task, though typically requiring manual review and refinement.
The company's introduction of Junie has been concise, raising questions about the types of tasks it can perform. JetBrains has confirmed that the Junie preview will support IDEA Ultimate and PyCharm (Python-specific IDE) versions 23.3 and above, released in December 2023, aligning with the versions where JetBrains AI assistant was launched. Support for other IDEs is expected to be rolled out in the future.
Currently, Junie supports only three programming languages: Python, Kotlin, and Java. Although Junie is said to have "no limitations" in terms of framework support, its effectiveness across frameworks such as Django, Flask, and Reflex (all Python web frameworks) remains to be seen.
Andrew Zakonov, Junie's product manager, outlined five core capabilities of the AI coding agent:
1. Developing new product features, which may involve modifications across different parts of a project.
2. Fixing bugs or resolving compilation issues.
3. Adding or updating documentation to ensure the accuracy and currency of project resources.
4. Implementing new tests to maintain code quality and coverage.
5. Investigating and resolving existing failed test cases.
Despite these promising features, the existing JetBrains AI assistant has received mixed reviews. Some users have reported "incorrect and irrelevant code," while others claim that "even free AI editors provide a far superior development experience." As of the writing of this article, the plugin has garnered 950 reviews with a 2.0-star rating (out of 5) and over 18 million downloads.
This feedback suggests that JetBrains' decision to rethink its AI assistance tools is wise, and the shift towards intelligent agent AI aligns with industry trends. For instance, ByteDance's Trae offers "build patterns" that can "automatically decompose and execute tasks." Vercel's v0 can construct full-stack applications based on prompt words. GitHub Copilot Workspace, currently in technical preview, is defined as an "intelligent agent development environment." Devin, a "collaborative AI colleague" available from December 2024, can accept commands and perform tasks. AWS Q Developer now has intelligent agent capabilities, executing tasks based on commands entered with the /dev prompt.
In other words, Junie faces fierce competition, and JetBrains needs to work hard to convince developers that it can lead the way in this domain, rather than merely following the trend.