GitHub unveils Agent HQ for AI coding agents

GitHub has unveiled Agent HQ, a new platform feature aimed at integrating AI-powered coding agents from major providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Cognition, and xAI directly within the GitHub environment. This feature targets developers and organizations using paid GitHub Copilot subscriptions, with initial access for Copilot Pro+ users via VS Code Insiders. Over the next few months, a broader rollout will include more agents and general Copilot subscribers.

Agent HQ provides a unified mission control interface across GitHub, VS Code, mobile, and CLI, allowing users to assign, monitor, and manage multiple AI agents simultaneously. Technical capabilities include:

1. Granular branch controls
2. Custom agent creation through AGENTS.md files
3. Identity management to track agent contributions

New integrations are available for widely used collaboration tools like Slack, Linear, Jira, and Microsoft Teams. Plan Mode in VS Code guides developers through project planning by asking clarifying questions, ensuring context is maintained throughout the development process.

GitHub is layering these AI capabilities onto its established platform primitives such as Git, pull requests, and Actions, preserving familiar workflows while introducing advanced automation and governance. The company is also releasing features like GitHub Code Quality for organization-wide code health and a Copilot metrics dashboard for usage tracking. Industry leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have commented positively on this native integration, highlighting improved workflow and collaboration for millions of developers. GitHub positions Agent HQ as a step forward in orchestrating teams of AI agents, providing oversight, and maintaining secure, productive development environments.

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