For years, AI tools like Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub’s Copilot have been in your corner, helping you turn ideas into functioning software. But things are shifting. Increasingly, agentic AI is moving straight into the terminal, that classic black-and-white interface many of us know from 90s hacker films, to bridge the gap between code and execution.
While modern code editors dazzle with slick interfaces, the humble terminal remains unmatched in raw power and versatility. Big names like Anthropic, DeepMind, and OpenAI are already testing the waters with command-line coding tools such as Claude Code, Gemini CLI, and CLI Codex. Even though these tools might fly under the radar, they’re quickly becoming indispensable.
Alex Shaw, co-creator of the terminal-focused benchmark TerminalBench, sums it up: “Our big bet is that there’s a future in which 95% of LLM-computer interaction is through a terminal-like interface.” This transformation comes as traditional code editors face growing challenges. Take Windsurf, for example—once a promising AI code editor now rocked by acquisitions and executive changes.
Recent studies add to the picture. Research by METR on Cursor Pro, a Windsurf competitor, revealed that while developers expected to speed through tasks, the reality was a bit slower. It’s a reminder that every new tool needs to live up to its promise, especially when it comes to productivity.
That’s where Warp steps in. Claiming the top spot on TerminalBench, Warp brands itself as an “agentic development environment,” cleverly merging the strengths of integrated development environments (IDEs) and command-line interfaces. Founder Zach Lloyd is upbeat about the terminal’s role, noting, “The terminal occupies a very low level in the developer stack, so it’s the most versatile place to be running agents.”
Warp isn’t just for show either. The team behind it has put the tool through its paces, using TerminalBench’s challenging tasks—from server configurations to compiling the Linux kernel—to prove its mettle. While there’s still room for improvement, these strides could reshape how we manage the less glamorous aspects of development.
If you’ve ever been bogged down by tasks like setting up a new project or managing dependencies, this shift might be just what you need. By automating repetitive setup work and flagging issues early, terminal-based AI tools are set to free up your time, letting you focus on what you do best—writing brilliant code.
