On Tuesday, Jack Dorsey’s Block unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI) agent known as Codename Goose. The parent organization of Cash App, Square, and Tidal has introduced an open-source AI tool designed to assist with software development tasks. Codename Goose is compatible with a variety of large language models (LLMs) and can interact with numerous applications and tools through extensions. Although its primary function is currently focused on engineering tasks, the company is investigating potential non-engineering applications for it.
Block Unveils Codename Goose
In a blog entry, the company announced the launch of Codename Goose. This framework can be utilized not only to carry out its designated tasks but also to create new agents tailored for specific functionalities. Because the system is open-source, it can be deployed locally, addressing common data privacy concerns associated with AI applications.
With its open-source nature, Goose offers developers significant flexibility. It can be powered by a variety of LLMs, including both open-source options like DeepSeek-R1 and proprietary models such as Gemini, Claude, and GPT. This flexibility allows developers to select the AI model that best meets their needs.
The AI agent is also designed to support a broad range of extensions, enabling Goose to connect with various applications and tools such as GitHub, Google Drive, and JetBrains IDEs. The company noted that some extensions are already available in the agent’s directory, while developers have the option to create and integrate new extensions. Significantly, all extensions are based on the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Furthermore, Block emphasized that Goose can be operated locally as a desktop application or via the command-line interface (CLI), maintaining the same configuration settings.
In terms of functionality, the AI agent specializes in coding and software development, capable of executing complex commands. Applications for Goose include tasks such as code migration (for instance, from Ember to Reach or Ruby to Kotlin), transitioning a codebase from field-based injection to constructor-based injection, conducting performance benchmarks, creating Datadog monitors, and managing feature flags, among others.
Codename Goose can be accessed through Block’s GitHub repository. It is offered under the Apache 2.0 license, permitting both academic and commercial use.
