Latest news with #Cursor
Arabian Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Arabian Post
Cursor extends AI‑coding agents to the browser
Cursor's developer, Anysphere, today launched a browser‑based web app that enables users to manage a coordinated network of AI coding agents directly from desktop or mobile. The app allows developers to submit natural‑language tasks—such as building features or fixing bugs—to agents working autonomously in the background. Users can monitor progress, view agent‑generated code diffs, and merge changes into repositories—all without returning to the IDE. The web interface builds on earlier enhancements. In May, Cursor introduced 'background agents' capable of executing end‑to‑end code tasks with minimal supervision. A Slack integration followed in June, enabling teams to initiate tasks by mentioning '@Cursor' within chat threads. Anysphere's decision to expand beyond its IDE reflects strong demand, according to Andrew Milich, head of product engineering: 'remove the friction' for users who wish to invoke Cursor in more contexts. With the new web app, agents are accessible via any device with a browser, including via a progressive web app installable on mobile platforms. ADVERTISEMENT Behind the scenes, each background agent runs in its secure isolated environment—cloning repositories, working on branches, and pushing changes when tasks complete. Agents generate their own pull requests, and teams with Git repository access can review diffs via the web interface. Users may spawn multiple agents simultaneously, allowing parallel experimentation with different AI models from providers including OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. Slack integration deepens collaboration: agents can be triggered by tagging @Cursor within conversations. They parse context—such as bug reports or stack traces—and return code proposals through GitHub pull requests, notifying the matching Slack channel when work finishes. This feature enables non‑technical stakeholders to engage with codeflows directly through chat. Anysphere confirmed that all paying users with access to background agents can use the new web app. It is available to subscribers on the $20 per month Pro plan and above, but not to users on the free tier. Business metrics underpin the move. Cursor surpassed $500 million in annualised recurring revenue last month, driven by monthly subscriptions. Anysphere says the platform is now used by more than half of Fortune 500 companies, including Nvidia, Uber and Adobe. To support enterprise needs, the company recently rolled out an enhanced tier priced at $200 per month. This tier offers significantly increased usage of AI models from multiple providers and advance access to features. Earlier this year, Anysphere closed a $900 million funding round at a $9.9 billion valuation—its third in under a year—and became one of the fastest software startups to hit $500 million ARR. Anysphere designed Cursor's agent rollout deliberately, avoiding premature 'demo‑ware' and intending agents to reliably deliver production‑grade code. CEO Michael Truell forecasts that by 2026 agents will handle at least 20 per cent of a software engineer's tasks. Industry analysts note that early adopters have embraced Cursor for its mature tooling and integrations. The IDE—based on Visual Studio Code—offers familiar features with added AI capabilities like smart rewrites, codebase querying and autocomplete. Among its peers, Cursor leads in reliability, with users citing its code quality and contextual awareness as competitive strengths. However, experts caution that expanded agent use may introduce new complexities. Discussions in developer forums highlight potential pitfalls of 'vibe coding'—using AI prompts in isolation—such as drifting from coherent architecture and leaking sensitive data like API keys. Even experienced users emphasise that success requires structured oversight and thoughtful documentation.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cursor launches a web app to manage AI coding agents
The company behind Cursor, the viral AI coding editor, launched a web app on Monday that allows users to manage a network of coding agents directly from their browser. The launch marks Cursor's next big step beyond its integrated development environment (IDE), the core product developers use to access its tools. While Anysphere, the company behind Cursor, initially offered only this AI-powered IDE, the company has made a concerted effort to put its products in more places, and develop more agent-powered experiences for users. In May, Cursor launched background agents — AI systems that solve coding tasks autonomously without user supervision. In June, the company launched a Slack integration that allows users to assign tasks to these background agents by tagging @Cursor, similar to how Cognitions's AI coding agent, Devin, operates. Now, with the web app, Cursor users can send natural language requests via browser — on desktop or mobile— to assign background agents tasks such as writing features or fixing bugs in their codebase. The web app also lets users monitor agents working on other tasks, view their progress, and merge completed changes into the codebase. Andrew Milich, Cursor's head of product engineering, tells TechCrunch that the Slack integration and web app are part of an effort to 'remove the friction' for users who rely on Cursor — and it seems many do. Anysphere announced last month that Cursor has crossed $500 million in annualized recurring revenue, largely driven by monthly subscriptions. The company also said Cursor is now used by more than half of the Fortune 500, including companies such as NVIDIA, Uber, and Adobe. To capitalize on this growth, Anysphere recently launched a $200-per-month Pro tier for Cursor. 'You noted how customers want Cursor in more places. I think they also want Cursor to solve more of the problems they're having,' said Milich. Cursor's background agents are designed to let users start tasks through Slack or the web app, allowing an agent to take a first pass. If the agent can't complete the task, users can seamlessly transition into the IDE to pick up where the agent left off. Each agent also has a unique shareable link — making it easy to view progress and code changes on agents that other teammates created. Anysphere says all customers with access to background agents can use the Cursor web app — that includes subscribers to Cursor's $20-per-month Pro plan, as well as more expensive plans, but not users on Cursor's free tier. Cursor is not the first to ship AI coding agents, but the company says it has been careful to take its time and not ship 'demo-ware' — AI products that look good in theory but fail in practice. That has been the story for a lot of early AI coding agents, which made numerous mistakes in testing. The team behind Cursor now believes AI reasoning models are advancing enough to make coding agents viable. In a recent interview with Stratechery's Ben Thompson, Anysphere CEO Michael Truell said he expects AI coding agents to handle at least 20% of a software engineer's work by 2026.
TechCrunch
3 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Cursor launches a web app to manage AI coding agents
The company behind Cursor, the viral AI coding editor, launched a web app on Monday that allows users to manage a network of coding agents directly from their browser. The launch marks Cursor's next big step beyond its integrated development environment (IDE), the core product developers use to access its tools. While Anysphere, the company behind Cursor, initially offered only this AI-powered IDE, the company has made a concerted effort to put its products in more places, and develop more agent-powered experiences for users. In May, Cursor launched background agents — AI systems that solve coding tasks autonomously without user supervision. In June, the company launched a Slack integration that allows users to assign tasks to these background agents by tagging @Cursor, similar to how Cognitions's AI coding agent, Devin, operates. Now, with the web app, Cursor users can send natural language requests via browser — on desktop or mobile— to assign background agents tasks such as writing features or fixing bugs in their codebase. The web app also lets users monitor agents working on other tasks, view their progress, and merge completed changes into the codebase. Andrew Milich, Cursor's head of product engineering, tells TechCrunch that the Slack integration and web app are part of an effort to 'remove the friction' for users who rely on Cursor — and it seems many do. Anysphere announced last month that Cursor has crossed $500 million in annualized recurring revenue, largely driven by monthly subscriptions. The company also said Cursor is now used by more than half of the Fortune 500, including companies such as NVIDIA, Uber, and Adobe. To capitalize on this growth, Anysphere recently launched a $200-per-month Pro tier for Cursor. Techcrunch event Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW 'You noted how customers want Cursor in more places. I think they also want Cursor to solve more of the problems they're having,' said Milich. Cursor's background agents are designed to let users start tasks through Slack or the web app, allowing an agent to take a first pass. If the agent can't complete the task, users can seamlessly transition into the IDE to pick up where the agent left off. Each agent also has a unique shareable link — making it easy to view progress and code changes on agents that other teammates created. Anysphere says all customers with access to background agents can use the Cursor web app — that includes subscribers to Cursor's $20-per-month Pro plan, as well as more expensive plans, but not users on Cursor's free tier. Cursor is not the first to ship AI coding agents, but the company says it has been careful to take its time and not ship 'demo-ware' — AI products that look good in theory but fail in practice. That has been the story for a lot of early AI coding agents, which made numerous mistakes in testing. The team behind Cursor now believes AI reasoning models are advancing enough to make coding agents viable. In a recent interview with Stratechery's Ben Thompson, Anysphere CEO Michael Truell said he expects AI coding agents to handle at least 20% of a software engineer's work by 2026.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Microsoft Developer head to employees: Using … is no longer optional, as company considers another change to its performance review process
Microsoft is now asking managers to evaluate employees based on their use of internal AI tools, with the company considering adding formal metrics to its performance review process as it pushes for greater adoption of artificial intelligence across the organization. Julia Liuson , president of Microsoft's Developer Division responsible for tools like GitHub Copilot , recently instructed managers that AI usage "should be part of your holistic reflections on an individual's performance and impact." In an internal email, Liuson declared that "using AI is no longer optional — it's core to every role and every level." The evaluation changes are designed to address what Microsoft sees as lagging internal adoption of its Copilot AI services. Some teams are now considering including more formal AI usage metrics in performance reviews for the next fiscal year, according to sources familiar with the plans. Microsoft faces growing competition in AI coding market The push comes as Microsoft's GitHub Copilot faces increasing competition from rival AI coding services, including Cursor, which recent data suggests has surpassed GitHub Copilot in key developer market segments. The competitive pressure has even become a point of tension in Microsoft's ongoing partnership negotiations with OpenAI. Microsoft currently allows employees to use certain external AI tools that meet security requirements, including coding assistant Replit, while encouraging greater use of its internal AI services. Company tightens performance standards amid AI investment The AI evaluation initiative coincides with Microsoft's broader shift toward stricter performance management. The company recently implemented new policies including a two-year rehire ban for underperforming employees and introduced a "Global Voluntary Separation Agreement" offering 16 weeks of severance to low performers who voluntarily leave. Earlier this year, Microsoft terminated approximately 2,000 employees deemed underperformers and plans thousands more job cuts primarily targeting its sales division. These workforce changes reflect the company's efforts to balance massive AI investments, including roughly $80 billion in data center spending, with operational efficiency as it positions itself for what CEO Satya Nadella calls "the AI era.' AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
India Today
3 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Microsoft tells employees using AI is no longer optional, may impact performance reviews as more layoffs likely in July
Microsoft wants its employees to use its artificial intelligence tool. Not just use it—the company is reportedly planning to make AI tools one of the factors to evaluate performance of the employees. According to Business Insider, Microsoft is concerned about the low adoption rates of its own AI services and has therefore instructed managers to evaluate employees based on their use of internal AI an internal email to employees, Julia Liuson, president of the Developer Division, has reportedly outlined that the company is making it mandatory for employees. 'AI is now a fundamental part of how we work,' Liuson wrote. 'Just like collaboration, data-driven thinking, and effective communication, using AI is no longer optional — it's core to every role and every level.'Managers have also reportedly been asked to factor AI usage into their overall assessment of an employee's performance. Citing two sources familiar with the matter, the report reveals that some teams are considering introducing formal metrics tied to AI use in upcoming performance reviews. This shift is said to align with a broader strategy to improve internal usage of the company's own AI tools. Despite heavy promotion, Copilot's adoption inside the company hasn't met expectations, especially with rising competition from AI coding assistants like Cursor. Now, Microsoft wants employees—especially those building AI products—to use and understand these tools, while still allowing some secure external AI tools like layoffs in July 2025 advertisementMeanwhile, the internal push for AI tools comes at a time when the company has carried out multiple rounds of job cuts. Most of these layoffs have affected thousands of roles within its Xbox division and broader gaming operation. However, another round of layoffs is likely to come in July 2025. According to a Bloomberg report, thousands of jobs in the Xbox division are expected to be cut as soon as next week, as part of a broader company-wide restructuring. This would be the fourth round of job cuts affecting the Xbox unit since sources reportedly describe the upcoming job cuts as 'considerable,' particularly within the gaming business, which has been under financial expected layoffs follow the closure of multiple game studios and come amid rising pressure to improve profitability within Microsoft's gaming operations. The company completed its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023 and has since been focused on streamlining its gaming June alone, Microsoft laid off more than 300 employees, adding to the 6,000-plus positions eliminated in previous months. Overall, with earlier reductions, Microsoft has laid off over 6,300 employees in recent weeks.- Ends
