Microsoft introduces GitHub AI agent that can code for you

Core Insights - Microsoft has launched a new AI coding agent named GitHub Copilot, which aims to enhance software development processes by automating specific programming tasks [4][6] - The Copilot agent is powered by Anthropic's Claude 3.7 Sonnet AI model and is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing workflows, converting specifications into production code quickly [2][5] - GitHub has seen significant growth since its acquisition by Microsoft in 2018, generating over $2 billion in annualized revenue and reaching over 15 million users for the Copilot assistant [6] Company Developments - The GitHub Copilot coding agent can handle low-to-medium complexity tasks, such as adding features, fixing bugs, and improving documentation, thereby allowing developers to focus on higher-level creative work [2][5] - The new coding agent will not be free; it will be available to developers with Copilot Pro+ subscriptions and organizations subscribed to the Copilot Enterprise service tier [7] - GitHub's Copilot assistant recently gained an agent mode feature to enhance its competitiveness against other coding systems like Cursor and Windsurf [6] Market Position - The launch of the Copilot agent is part of Microsoft's strategy to differentiate its developer tools from competitors like Atlassian and GitLab [3] - The coding agent's ability to summarize its work and integrate into team workflows positions it as a valuable tool for software development teams [4][5] - The rapid increase in user adoption, with a fourfold growth in users over the past year, indicates strong market demand for AI-assisted coding solutions [6]