Microsoft’s GitHub has introduced a new Copilot AI agent capable of handling specific programming tasks autonomously.

Once assigned, the agent completes the work and notifies the developer when it’s done.

Developers can then review the output directly on GitHub, suggest changes if needed, and approve the final version.

The agent can also insert the approved code into existing project files, streamlining the development process.

Announced at Microsoft’s Build developer conference in Seattle, the launch highlights the company’s goal of making AI an integral part of software development.

“The GitHub Copilot coding agent fits into our existing workflow and converts specifications to production code in minutes,” Alex Devkar, senior vice president of engineering and analytics at used car retailer Carvana, was quoted as saying in the blog post. “This increases our velocity and enables our team to channel their energy toward higher-level creative work.”

In recent months, tools like Cursor and Windsurf have gained popularity among developers and non-technical users for their ability to generate code from simple instructions, often used to build new features. GitHub’s new AI agent, however, is designed to focus more on maintaining and updating existing codebases.

Since being acquired by Microsoft in 2018, GitHub has expanded significantly, with annualized revenue surpassing $2 billion as of last summer.

Since Microsoft acquired GitHub in 2018, the platform has experienced significant growth, generating over $2 billion in annualized revenue as of last summer.

GitHub Copilot, which recently introduced an agent mode to better compete with tools like Cursor and Windsurf, now boasts over 15 million users—four times the number from a year ago, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during a recent analyst call.

GitHub offers a free Copilot tier for individual users with limited access. However, the new coding agent won’t be included in that. It will be available to developers with Copilot Pro+ subscriptions and to organizations using the Copilot Enterprise tier, according to GitHub.

The feature is currently in preview, allowing GitHub to gather feedback from early users, a spokesperson said.