Microsoft-owned open-source developer platform GitHub has announced the launch of Copilot X, the company’s vision for the future of AI-powered software development. The tool is an enhanced version of the Copilot coding assistant that GitHub debuted in mid-2021 and offers an array of new features not included in the original.
GitHub has adopted OpenAI’s new GPT-4 model and introduced chat and voice interfaces for developers. Copilot X will be embedded into the interface of Microsoft’s VS Code and Visual Studio code editing applications. It recognizes what code a developer has typed, what error messages are shown, and it’s deeply embedded into the IDE. A developer can get in-depth analysis and explanations of what code blocks are intended to do, generate unit tests, and even get proposed fixes to bugs.
This is a major step forward in AI-powered software development and promises to revolutionize the way developers work. With Copilot X, developers can focus on more satisfying work while feeling more productive and faster with repetitive tasks. Research has found that GitHub Copilot helps developers code faster, stay in the flow longer, and feel more fulfilled with their work.
In addition to chatbot-based AI support for coding scenarios, GitHub is also launching Copilot for Docs which will enable AI responses for questions about software documentation with initial support for React, Azure Docs, and Mozilla Developer Network (MDN).
Users can sign up for technical previews of various upcoming features such as Copilot chat waitlist or GitHub AI-generated pull requests on GitHub’s website.
The launch of Copilot X represents a significant advancement in AI-powered software development. It will be exciting to see how this tool continues to evolve and shape the future of coding.
