existing Copilot code completion tool.
developers to write and debug code, get AI-generated answers about
documentation, and more.
completion tool remains on GitHub’s Codex model for latency
reasons.
experience is the natural next step for GitHub. Copilot Chat will be available in Visual Studio and VS Code, with support
for other IDEs coming later.
According to Dohmke, Copilot Chat will not only bring ChatGPT into the IDE, but also bring the context of the IDE to ChatGPT. This means developers can highlight code in the editor and ask Copilot about code snippets, use it to refactor code and ask for help in debugging code if necessary.
The chat function is programmed to focus solely on programming questions and will quickly shut down questions about anything else.Dohmke believes that the new Copilot will increase developer productivity by 10x, arguing that while autocomplete allows developers to improve their productivity significantly, the new Copilot will be a game-changer.
As part of the Copilot X initiative, GitHub is also bringing Copilot to the command line, helping developers use the command line by composing commands and loops and finding obscure feature flags buried deep in manuals or buried in Stack Overflow searches.
Developers can also sign up for a technical preview of a new Copilot feature that generates descriptions of pull requests and automatically tags them.GitHub is augmenting ChatGPT’s existing database with more recent data, beginning with React documentation, Azure Docs, and Mozilla’s MDN.
Developers will be able to query those docs in a ChatGPT-like interface. GitHub plans to allow organizations to use this tool on top of their repositories and internal documentation in the future.Dohmke believes that once Copilot is available in every application, it will remove the silos in companies, allowing for increased productivity.
GitHub is expanding the capabilities of its popular Copilot code completion tool with the launch of Copilot X, a new initiative that includes a code-centric chat mode, AI-generated documentation answers, and Copilot for pull requests, among other features.
The tool’s latest capabilities are powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4, and the chat mode is available for preview in Visual Studio and VS Code, with support for other IDEs coming later.GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke said that while autocomplete already enables developers to improve their productivity, Copilot X will take this to the next level, potentially increasing productivity by 10 times.
The tool’s chat mode also allows developers to ask programming-specific questions, while the AI-generated answers can assist with the documentation.One of the most exciting new features is the ability to generate pull request descriptions and automatically tag them.
This eliminates the need for developers to write boilerplate content, which is often a tedious and time-consuming task.In addition to these new features, GitHub brings Copilot to the command line, allowing developers to compose commands and loops more easily. And, Copilot for docs enriches the ChatGPT database with more recent data, which can be queried in a chat interface.
Dohmke believes that Copilot X will become a must-have tool for developers, improving their productivity and removing silos within companies. With Copilot in every application, it will be easier for workers to leverage information from their colleagues and unlock even more productivity gains.
The launch of Copilot X demonstrates GitHub’s commitment to providing developers with the tools they need to be more efficient and effective. With its powerful AI capabilities, the platform continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of software development.
