Microsoft GitHub's AI-powered Copilot Launches for $10 a Month
Chalk up another Subscription for Microsoft as Software eats the World Still
Hey Guys,
I really like to follow all things A.I. especially when they are at the intersection of code!
GitHub CoPilot
GitHub Copilot general availability: Microsoft introduced a preview of Copilot last year, and the reception has been overwhelmingly positive. More than one-third of those who signed up for the program have become daily users.
GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer that provides full-code suggestions inferred from code and comments. Now, with Copilot becoming generally available, more developers will get a chance to utilize these tools, which not only help them write code via AI, but also use AI to understand that code and create better code in the future.
We should note of course that it’s Free for students and maintainers of popular open-source projects.
GitHub originally teamed up with OpenAI last year to launch a preview of Copilot, and it’s generally available to all developers today.
Trained on billions of lines of code, GitHub Copilot turns natural language prompts into coding suggestions across dozens of languages.
A must have isn’t it? Microsoft did not sponsor this post. I will let you know if I ever include a paid sponsor.
Why not find my work on the App instead?
I’m really actually pretty excited about what A.I. may be able to do in coding in the next couple of decades.
AI and coding have become deeply entwined and Microsoft with the acquisition of GitHub and working closely with OpenAI have a unique vantage point.
I’m not a developer but think about it! Priced at $10 per month or $100 a year, GitHub Copilot is capable of suggesting the next line of code as developers type in an integrated development environment (IDE) like Visual Studio Code, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs. Copilot can suggest complete methods and complex algorithms alongside boilerplate code and assistance with unit testing. Who would not take a chance on A.I. like this?
Or join the GitHub Copilot waitlist.
The Corporate Metaverse may already be here. Now that GitHub Copilot is generally available, developers will have to start paying for it. On a dev salary what is $100 a year? You are literally helping fund some of the most exciting stuff at the intersection of A.I. and code! There are worse subscriptions to enter.
Surprising Adoption Rates
More than 1.2 million developers signed up to use the GitHub Copilot preview over the past 12 months, and it will remain a free tool for verified students and maintainers of popular open-source projects. In files where it’s enabled, GitHub says nearly 40 percent of code is now being written by Copilot.
I did not even know this. It sounds vaguely impressive!
What do you think?
This year’s Build conference had some nuggets of how Microsoft is empowering developers in the Cloud. If you don’t like GitHub there’s always GitLab.
But GitLab doesn’t have a Copilot. Last time I checked!
Verified students and maintainers of popular open-source projects may continue using Copilot at no charge.
Focus on solving bigger problems
Spend less time creating boilerplate and repetitive code patterns, and more time on what matters: building great software. Write a comment describing the logic you want and GitHub Copilot will immediately suggest code to implement the solution.
I’m waiting for no-code platforms to mature, it’s sort like waiting for robo-taxis to pick you up. You could be waiting a long-time I guess.
If Software is Eating the World, Microsoft will help AI Automate It
“Just like the rise of compilers and open source, we believe AI-assisted coding will fundamentally change the nature of software development, giving developers a new tool to write code easier and faster so they can be happier in their lives,” says GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke.
Microsoft and the robos. The way it aught to be!
We are family! Those AI and me.
Now a break from our sponsor, Substack itself! Nah, just kidding. Got to appreciate Paul Kingsnorth though: What does Progress want anyway?
GitHub Copilot
Copilot is available via subscription for commercial developers, I’m pretty sure they can afford it guys! Just get it expensed under tools and education or whatever.
Get AI-based suggestions, just for you
GitHub Copilot shares recommendations based on the project's context and style conventions. Quickly cycle through lines of code, complete function suggestions, and decide which to accept, reject, or edit.
Listen if it can save you time, why not. Full disclosure, I have zero Python familiarity. I blatantly sometimes confuse Java and JavaScript, it’s embarrassing.
Will A.I. Augment the Job of Software Developers?
Copilot is powered by the OpenAI Codex model that is trained on natural language and billions of lines of public source code, including GitHub repositories.
The intelligent tool learns over time from the existing code, docstrings, comments, and function names to provide more accurate suggestions. The GitHub Copilot is available as an extension for JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio Code, Neovim, as well as GitHub Codespaces.
If you think about this was a deal made in Sam’s land. Microsoft’s $1 billion investment into OpenAI, the research firm now led by former Y Combinator president Sam Altman, led to the creation of GitHub Copilot. We owe Sam, for real. I’m going to make a Newsletter to cover these new disruptive Tycoons. I think.
Perhaps we should not then underestimate, the the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-assisted development – keeping developers in their flow. You know?
GitHub says that 1.2 million people signed up during the preview period. Copilot is now suggesting 40% of newly written code, according to the company — up from 35% earlier this year.
Give a “C”, give me a “G” - GitHub Copilot has finally arrived.
As far as I know, Microsoft isn’t the only company working on automated AI tools to help assist with coding. That’s pretty cool.
Code confidently in unfamiliar territory
Whether you’re working in a new language or framework, or just learning to code, GitHub Copilot can help you find your way. Tackle a bug, or learn how to use a new framework without spending most of your time spelunking through the docs or searching the web.
If Microsoft will send me free Merch for this post, please ask them to send me a Hololens 2. I want to see what the army tech fuss is all about!
"With GitHub Copilot, for the first time in the history of software, AI can be broadly harnessed by developers to write and complete code," said Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, in a blog post.
The first time in history, so by using Copilot you are like a pioneer of the no-code era.
According to Microsoft, GitHub Copilot is primarily designed for experienced programmers, but new developers can also benefit from it. The tool helps to minimize the time and effort spent on finding solutions related to coding problems on the web.
So what is the fate of A.I. in coding? Good question, it’s too soon to say. The Verge notes that last year, Google-owned DeepMind revealed an AI system named AlphaCode that’s designed to write computer programs “at a competitive level.” AlphaCode was tested against Codeforces, a competitive coding platform, and achieved an “estimated rank” placing it within the top 54 percent of human coders.
Microsoft and Google eh! Just like old times. Just give me AI-assistants that actually mean something.
Copilot Explain is a new research project that describes code in natural language in order to help notice developers. The second solution, called “OpenAI Codex” lets users convert natural language into over a dozen programming languages.
Thanks for reading guys!
If you want to support my work, it’s literally the price of a super cheap cup of coffee.
Does this subscription for GitHub Copilot tempt you?
Don’t fly solo coding dude, start your free trial one of these days. Don’t blink now. GitHub will offer Pilot to businesses (erm, Enterprise Customers) later this year. GitHub Pilot is available for all developers around this time, with a 60-day free trial.