Microsoft-owned GitHub is expanding the availability of its AI-powered coding chatbot, Copilot Chat. Initially launched in public beta for business users in July, GitHub has now announced that it’s accessible in public beta for individual users of GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code.
Copilot Chat allows users to engage with an AI assistant for coding assistance while they write code. GitHub explained in a blog post that this feature enables both developer teams and individuals to use Copilot Chat within their integrated development environments (IDEs) to learn new languages or frameworks, troubleshoot bugs, or receive answers to coding inquiries in plain, natural language outputs, all without having to leave their IDE.
Google and Amazon also offer their AI coding bots
To access this feature, non-subscribers can opt for GitHub’s Copilot tier for individual users, which is priced at $10 per month or $100 per year.
AI-powered coding assistance has become increasingly popular, with tech giants like Google and Amazon also offering their AI-powered coding bots. GitHub Copilot Chat, initially available to business users, is now extending its reach to individual users as well.
This tool represents an evolution of the original AI-powered “AI pair programmer” introduced by Microsoft-owned GitHub in 2021. It marked the beginning of Microsoft’s extensive Copilot-themed AI assistant initiatives across its software products and advanced generative AI constructs like ChatGPT, developed in partnership with OpenAI.
GitHub Copilot Chat combines the technology of the original Copilot coding assistant with ChatGPT. It operates seamlessly in both Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio 2022 through extensions. Leveraging advanced natural language processing (NLP), it provides real-time answers and support in natural language from supported editors/IDEs, eliminating the need for developers to navigate documentation or search online forums. This streamlines the development process and allows developers to maintain focus and productivity. Additionally, it can suggest code snippets, tips, and solutions tailored to specific coding challenges.
Pretty exciting news for the developer community
GitHub envisions that the cohesion between GitHub Copilot Chat and the GitHub Copilot pair programmer will create a powerful AI assistant capable of helping developers work at the speed of their thoughts, using the natural language of their choice. GitHub believes that this integration will significantly reduce boilerplate work and establish natural language as a universal programming language for developers worldwide.
One of the notable advantages of this tool is its ability to suggest security patches, enhancing the overall security of open-source projects—a development GitHub regards as “pretty exciting news for the developer community.”
