GitHub, a subsidiary of Microsoft, has unveiled a new AI-powered Copilot coding agent designed to take on specific programming tasks and notify developers when they’re completed. The tool, introduced at Microsoft’s Build developer conference in Seattle, marks a significant step forward in integrating artificial intelligence into software development workflows. Once the agent completes a task, developers can review, request changes, and integrate the new code directly into existing files, streamlining the development cycle.
This new coding agent leverages the Claude 3.7 Sonnet model from Anthropic and is tailored to handle low-to-medium complexity tasks in stable codebases. According to GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke, it can add new features, fix bugs, expand testing coverage, refactor code, and enhance documentation. The goal is to allow developers to focus on higher-level strategic and creative tasks while Copilot manages routine and repetitive development work.
When a task is assigned to Copilot in GitHub, the AI agent signals its engagement with an eyes emoji and proceeds to create new files for its work. It also summarizes the changes it made, behaving like an additional team member rather than just a passive tool. This integration into team workflows makes it easier for development teams to delegate tasks and maintain oversight.
The AI agent builds on the momentum of Copilot’s growing user base, which has reached over 15 million—four times more than a year ago. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella highlighted this rapid growth in a recent analyst call, underscoring the impact GitHub Copilot has had since its inception.
Alex Devkar, senior vice president of engineering and analytics at Carvana, praised the tool for its ability to convert specifications into production-ready code within minutes. He noted that it has increased development velocity and freed up engineering teams to concentrate on more innovative work.
Unlike some recent “vibe-coding” tools like Cursor and Windsurf that focus on building new applications from human prompts, GitHub’s Copilot agent stands out by offering support for maintaining and enhancing existing codebases. It’s particularly suited for enterprises looking to improve productivity across large development teams.
While GitHub Copilot already offers a free tier for individuals with limited features, the new coding agent will only be accessible through paid Copilot Pro+ and Copilot Enterprise plans. Currently available in preview, GitHub will be collecting feedback to fine-tune the tool before broader release.
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