GitHub has announced the release of "Agent Mode" for GitHub Copilot, now available in Visual Studio Code. This new feature aims to expand the capabilities of Copilot, transforming it into a more proactive assistant for developers. Agent Mode allows developers to delegate complex tasks to Copilot, such as running tests, debugging code, or managing repositories, directly within the VS Code environment. This marks a shift from Copilot being a code-completion tool to acting as an interactive agent capable of executing commands and automating workflows.
2️⃣GitHub Copilot Edits is now GA: our multi-file editing tool that combines the best of inline edits and chat, allowing you to make changes across multiple files by prompting in natural language. And chose the model you prefer, from OpenAI’s GPT-4o, o1, or o3-mini, Anthropic’s… pic.twitter.com/D71d33FbdS
— Thomas Dohmke (@ashtom) February 6, 2025
The feature is designed for developers using Visual Studio Code and is available starting today. It is expected to benefit teams and individuals who rely on GitHub Copilot for software development tasks. While the blog post does not specify whether this rollout is for all users or limited to a subset, the immediate availability indicates that it may be accessible to a broad audience.
GitHub Copilot’s Agent Mode builds on the foundation of AI-driven developer tools that GitHub has been enhancing since its initial launch in 2021. By integrating more advanced functionalities, GitHub continues to position itself as a leader in AI-assisted development. This addition also aligns with broader industry trends where AI tools are increasingly automating repetitive or complex programming tasks.
BREAKING 🚨: Github Copilot got an agent mode on VSCode, and the SWE agent integrated straight into github 👀
— TestingCatalog News 🗞 (@testingcatalog) February 6, 2025
There you can assign an issue to Copilot, review PR and profit! 🤯 https://t.co/vdNChR9ajH pic.twitter.com/DlM1LCU54I
This release could have implications for competing platforms offering AI-driven coding assistants, such as Windsurf and Cursor. The ability to execute tasks autonomously within an IDE may set GitHub Copilot apart by offering deeper integration with developer workflows.
Further details about technical specifications or user feedback are not yet available but will likely emerge as developers begin using Agent Mode extensively.
