At Build, Microsoft introduces GitHub Copilot coding agent that works like a developer

Microsoft Corp. today rolled out a new feature for GitHub Copilot: the ability to implement tasks or issues while running in the background as an artificial intelligence agent, like a developer.

“The agent spins up a secure and fully customizable development environment powered by GitHub Actions,” said Thomas Dohmke, chief executive of Microsoft-owned GitHub. “As the agent works, it pushes commits to a draft pull request and you can track it every step of the way through the agent session logs.”

GitHub Copilot can now act as an asynchronous AI developer partner directly integrated into the GitHub platform.

The new capability integrates agentic AI, a growing trend in artificial intelligence that enables models to act independently of most human oversight, complete tasks and work toward goals autonomously. Although the new GitHub Copilot isn’t entirely free from human oversight, its pull requests still require human approval, where continuous integration and deployment workflows are run.

Microsoft said the agent excels at drudge work and low- to medium-complexity tasks in well-tested codebases — for example, adding features, fixing bugs, extending tests, refactoring code and improving documentation.

“The Github Copilot coding agent is opening up doors for each developer to have their own team, all working in parallel to amplify their work,” James Zabinski, DevEx lead at Ernst & Young Global Ltd.

Microsoft said the agent is enabled by the Model Context Protocol, a toolkit for connecting AI models to external data and capabilities outside GitHub. MCP servers can be configured in the repository’s settings. The agent can also use multimodal capabilities and see images included in GitHub issues assigned to it, so screenshots of bugs or mockups can be used for new features.

“Whether it’s code completions, next edit suggestions, chat, agent mode or now coding agent, GitHub Copilot always had one mission: To keep you in the magical flow state,” said Dohmke.

GitHub Models allows developers to experiment

As developers work with AI and Copilot, the new GitHub Models hub will allow users a simple way to explore best-in-class models to create, store, evaluate and share prompts, all without leaving GitHub, Microsoft said.

GitHub Models will act as a centralized hub for model and prompt evaluation, allowing users to build, test and manage AI features directly from their own environment and repository. No more context switching between tools is necessary.

Microsoft added that it will also allow developers to experiment with guardrails so they can do so securely.

Bringing agentic AI to DevOps

Today, Microsoft also said it’s introducing something that it’s calling Agentic DevOps, the next evolution of DevOps, where intelligent agents will collaborate with users and each other. The agents will automate and optimize each state of the software lifecycle.

DevOps is a software development approach that combines both the “development” and “operations” teams in shared responsibility by collaborating through the software lifecycle by automating the process of integrating code into repositories, and continuously testing and delivering software. It also includes continuously measuring application performance.

“Agentic DevOps will help you build faster, crush your backlog, cancel tech debt, secure your apps, and keep it all running in production,” said Microsoft. “The best part is we keep you at the center of this orchestra, conducting agents, and approving recommendations, so you can get back to building epic stuff.”

At the center of this will be GitHub Copilot, the company said, which can apply itself to complex, multi-step coding tasks and analyze complex codebases, make edits across files, generate and run tests, fix bugs and suggest commands.

Microsoft announced that it is releasing a Site Reliability Engineering agent for Azure that can run 24/7 and autonomously troubleshoot issues as they arise. It can continuously track performance for Kubernetes, App Service, serverless and database environments in real time, using deep knowledge built by the company from Azure-based services.

When it provides remediation actions or repair, they are logged in GitHub issues so the team can follow through and close the loop. This means fewer wake-up calls and the system can self-heal. Of course, it can’t fix something on its own; someone’s pager will still go off.

Open-sourcing GitHub Copilot in VS Code

Microsoft is open-sourcing GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code. Over the next few months, the company said it will be bringing the AI-powered capabilities of GitHub Copilot extensions into the VS Code open-source repository.

VS Code is already a popular integrated development editor, a software application that provides developers an environment to write, build and debug software code by combining tools under one interface.

By opening up the GitHub Copilot extensions, Microsoft said, it will be able to collaborate with the greater software community and bring ideas to market faster, aligned with the AI-assisted software development lifecycle.

Image: Microsoft

Enjoy the perfect blend of retro charm and modern convenience with the Udreamer Vinyl Record Player. With 9,041 ratings, a 4.3/5-star average, and 400+ units sold in the past month, this player is a fan favorite, available now for just $39.99.

The record player features built-in stereo speakers that deliver retro-style sound while also offering modern functionality. Pair it with your phone via Bluetooth to wirelessly listen to your favorite tracks. Udreamer also provides 24-hour one-on-one service for customer support, ensuring your satisfaction.

Don’t miss out—get yours today for only $39.99 at Amazon!

Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support

If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.

As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!