News

Eclipse Foundation Launches AI-Powered IDE to Expand Open-Source AI Development

• By John K. Waters
• April 1, 2025

The Eclipse Foundation has unveiled two major advancements in open-source artificial intelligence development tools: Theia AI and an AI-powered Theia IDE, both aimed at giving developers full control over how AI is integrated into their development environments.

The launch includes the public release of Theia AI, a modular framework that allows tool builders to embed Large Language Models (LLMs) into their own IDEs and applications. Simultaneously, the Foundation released an alpha version of the AI-powered Theia IDE, a new development environment built on the Theia AI framework, designed to enhance developer workflows with intelligent, transparent AI assistance.

The releases are spearheaded by EclipseSource, a leading contributor to open-source software development, and come amid growing calls for greater flexibility, transparency, and interoperability in AI-powered developer tools.

Unlike proprietary solutions that lock users into specific ecosystems, Theia AI gives developers full autonomy over how AI functionality is deployed. The open framework enables support for any LLM—whether cloud-based, self-hosted, or local—and allows for granular control over prompt engineering, agentic behaviors, and data source selection.

"With Theia AI, we are putting control back in the hands of developers," said Mike Milinkovich, Executive Director of the Eclipse Foundation, in a statement. "Whether building custom AI-driven tools or using the Theia IDE, Theia AI ensures developers remain in control of their data, workflows, and strategic direction."

This flexibility extends to the user interface as well. Developers can shape their tools' AI-driven experiences—from embedded chat assistants to fully customized editor integrations—tailoring them to specific use cases and domain needs.

The accompanying AI-powered Theia IDE showcases the framework's capabilities in action. Now available in alpha release, the IDE features intelligent coding agents, AI-enhanced terminal support, and context-sensitive assistants—all with configurable AI behavior.

Among its standout capabilities:

• Flexible LLM integration that supports any deployment model.

• MCP (Model Contextual Protocol) support for connecting to external tools and contextual data.

• SCANOSS integration for scanning AI-generated code to ensure compliance with open-source license requirements.

Designed with transparency in mind, the IDE allows developers to inspect, modify, and audit every aspect of AI interactions, including data exchange and prompt logic—something proprietary tools rarely offer.

The launch comes as AI plays an increasingly central role in software development, but concerns mount over the opacity and inflexibility of commercial platforms. The Eclipse Foundation's announcement addresses those concerns head-on, emphasizing open access, vendor neutrality, and the ability to adapt AI workflows to rapidly evolving model ecosystems.

Following beta testing across real-world applications, Theia AI is now publicly available for immediate adoption by tool builders, while the AI-powered Theia IDE is open to developers as an alpha preview.