GitHub Copilot
An AI assistant inside the code editor that suggests and writes code.
GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant made by GitHub, launched in 2021. It runs inside the editors developers already use, such as Visual Studio Code, and is powered by large language models that were trained on huge amounts of code and text.
It works in a few ways. As you type, it suggests the next lines in grey, and you press Tab to accept them. In a chat panel you can ask things like "what does this function do?" or "write a test for this". In its more autonomous modes it can take a task, edit several files, run commands and open a pull request on GitHub for a person to review.
It matters because it changed how a lot of everyday programming is done: less typing of repetitive code, more reading and checking. That last part is key. Copilot can be confidently wrong, invent functions that do not exist, or suggest code with security problems, so its output needs the same review as a colleague's. Similar tools include Cursor, Claude Code and others; they differ in how much they do on their own.
Keep in mind
- Suggests code as you type and answers questions in a chat inside the editor.
- Built on large language models; it predicts likely code, it does not understand your business.
- Its suggestions can be wrong or insecure, so they need review.
- It is a paid service with plans for individuals, companies and a limited free tier.
