Published on February 20th, 2025
Margaret Hamilton’s Apollo 11 code, which she led the development for, consisted of approximately 145,000 lines—paving the way for humanity’s first steps on the Moon. Fast forward to 2025. What if you had an intelligent coding assistant that could handle all the grinding parts so that you could focus on other, more interesting things?
That’s what Cursor AI Agents can do for you. Cursor AI Agent is the groundbreaking feature in the Cursor IDE that’s transforming developers into productivity powerhouses.
What is Cursor AI?
Before we jump on to Cursor AI agents, let’s quickly get to know about Cursor AI. Cursor AI is an AI-enhanced code editor that helps developers with the development process, improving overall productivity. Curser AI is owned by Anyshere. The company was founded by four friends while studying at MIT — Sualeh Asif, Aman Sanger, Michael Truell, and Arvid Lunnemark.
The editor is built as a fork of Visual Studio Code (VS Code) but with added enhancement. It’s not like your regular editor, where a few AI extensions are slapped on; Cursor AI embeds AI entirely into its operations.
A popular Medium blogger and developer, Ashley, mentioned, “I tried Cursor AI and dumped Github Copilot instantly.” She noted, “…. it is that good that you cannot afford to miss it.”
Cursor AI is basically a life-saver for coders and developers. It provides smart code suggestions, built-in debugging tools, and natural language editing features that understand what you want to do.
Cursor AI Agents—Your Coding Co-Pilot
Now, let’s talk about the key topic—Cursor AI Agents. Unlike your run-of-the-mill code suggestion tools, Cursor AI Agents are smart assistants built within the Cursor IDE designed to enhance your coding productivity. They actively support developers on complex tasks, automate recurring processes, and guide them through development step-by-step.
Also Read: AI Agents and the New Economics of Business
Think of them as your very own coding co-pilot, always geared up to lend a hand (or a line of code.) You’ll be happy to know that the functionality of Cursor AI Agents is not just limited to code suggestions. They automatically run terminal commands, which can save you hours of hard work.
For instance, they can install dependencies, set up files, and run tests—all while you sip your coffee. Moreover, Cursor AI Agents can help you resolve bugs, step-by-step, within a few minutes. It’s like having a senior developer on speed dial.
Why Cursor AI Agents Are a Game Changer
The modern developer’s toolkit is all about efficiency and precision. Cursor AI Agents deliver on both fronts by acting as a 24/7 virtual coding partner. Here’s why this feature is a game-changer:
Autonomous Code Generation: When you are stuck on a complex topic, AI agents provide a natural language description of the function you need and generate the code for you.
Smart Multi-File Edits: Unlike traditional code editors, Cursor AI Agents can understand the entire codebase and make consistent changes across multiple files simultaneously.
Terminal Command Execution: From project initiation to debugging and testing, Cursor AI Agents can automatically execute terminal commands on the developer’s behalf. This eliminates the need to switch between the editor and the terminal.
Contextual Awareness: Cursor AI Agents index your entire codebase and examine file configuration and dependencies. This function allows them to provide precise and contextually relevant suggestions.
Integrated Chat Interface: Users can utilize the integrated chat feature to ask for help with their code. Plus, Cursor AI Agents provide real-time assistance with bugs and code reviews.
How cursor AI agents are different than the existing cursor AI services :
Cursor AI offers a range of services and plans designed to enhance developer productivity through AI-powered code editing. The Cursor AI Agent stands out as a distinctive feature within this ecosystem. Here’s how the Cursor AI Agent differentiates itself from existing Cursor AI services and plans:
Autonomous Code Interaction
- Existing Services: Cursor’s core features include intelligent autocompletion, multi-line edits, and smart rewrites, which assist developers in writing and editing code efficiently.
- Cursor AI Agent: This agent goes a step further by autonomously interacting with the codebase. It can pull in context automatically, run terminal commands, create and modify files, and perform semantic code searches, reducing the manual effort required from developers.
Enhanced Codebase Understanding
- Existing Services: Features like Chat allow developers to query their codebase in natural language, providing insights based on the current file and cursor position.
- Cursor AI Agent: The agent offers a deeper comprehension of the entire codebase, enabling more accurate and context-aware code generation and modifications.
Integration with Development Workflow
- Existing Services: Cursor integrates with existing extensions, themes, and keybindings, ensuring a familiar environment for developers.
- Cursor AI Agent: Beyond integration, the agent actively participates in the development process by executing commands, managing files, and automating routine tasks, thereby streamlining the workflow.
Pricing and Accessibility
- Existing Plans: Cursor offers tiered plans:
- Hobby (Free): Includes a two-week Pro trial, 2000 completions, and 50 slow premium requests.
- Pro ($20/month): Provides unlimited completions, 500 fast premium requests per month, unlimited slow premium requests, and 10 o1-mini uses per day.
- Business ($40/user/month): Adds features like enforced privacy mode org-wide, centralized team billing, admin dashboard with usage stats, and SAML/OIDC SSO.
- Cursor AI Agent: Access to the agent’s advanced capabilities may vary based on the chosen plan. Users interested in utilizing the agent should review the specific features included in each plan to determine availability.
Closing Remarks
In today’s fast-paced digital environment, Cursor AI Agents are transformative innovation that helps developers code rapidly, smartly, and effectively without getting into the nitty-gritty of recurring tasks. By automating tedious tasks, delivering intelligent suggestions, and integrating seamlessly with third-party tools, Cursor AI Agents help you emphasize core problem-solving. As you implement these co-pilots into your routine workflow, try experimenting with different settings and then review the AI’s output.
Understanding these agents and their diverse coding suggestions can help developers make the most of their potential. Happy coding!
