Enterprise

GitHub’s Copilot Chat is now in public preview for businesses

Comment

GitHub logo
Image Credits: GitHub

Earlier this year, GitHub announced Copilot X, an initiative to extend its Copilot code completion tool to more use cases, including a ChatGPT-based code-centric chatbot. Until now, this chatbot was only available in a private preview, but starting today, Copilot Chat is now available as a limited public beta for all GitHub business users on Visual Studio and VS Code.

“This new evolution turns GitHub Copilot into a context-aware conversational assistant right in the IDE, allowing developers to execute some of the most complex tasks with simple prompts,” GitHub’s Mario Rodriguez writes in today’s announcement. “Every developer on your team, from the least to the most experienced, will be able to build entire applications or debug vast arrays of code in a matter of minutes instead of a matter of days.”

Image Credits: GitHub

The promise of Copilot Chat is that it isn’t just a chatbot but also aware of the entire context of the code you are working on. Copilot Chat may be powered by GPT-4, but GitHub stresses that its ability to understand the context of what you are working on in your IDE means it can go beyond what a more general-purpose generative AI chat assistant can do — all while allowing developers to stay in the flow. “We’re taking what works for general purpose and making it contextually aware of a developer’s environment,” Rodriguez explains.

In addition to specific coding questions and helping developers fix errors and bugs, Copilot Chat can also help developers fix security issues and provide code analysis (for those times when a colleague “forgot” to add comments to their code).

CoPilot Chat writing unit tests using the Jest framework
CoPilot Chat writing unit tests using the Jest framework. Image Credits: GitHub

As GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke told me last month, while Chat was still in private preview, the company was seeing strong demand from businesses to get access to this new service. “Ifcompare this to when we launched Copilot in preview two years ago, we are on a much faster track where companies are sayingwe want not only Copilot but Copilot X.’ We are actually surprised by the adoption curve from companies who are even willing to sign up for the preview terms — which are softer than the regular terms and sayingno, we don’t want to wait a few months. We want Chat now.’”

GitHub’s Thomas Dohmke talks open source, AI and more on the Disrupt SaaS Stage

GitHub’s Copilot goes beyond code completion, adds a chat mode and more

GitHub CEO: AI and software development are now inextricably linked

More TechCrunch

A New York Times article Thursday highlighted a lucrative side hustle that is emblematic of the times we live in: gaming algorithms to earn money. In this case, folks figured…

Gaming Lyft’s Citi Bike algos was a lucrative side hustle for a while

This is the chipmaker’s second round of layoffs over the past year, while the company recorded billions in revenue.

Chipmaker Qualcomm lays off hundreds of workers in San Diego

SpaceX sent a letter to top congressional leaders on Wednesday denying allegations that it violated its launch licenses on two separate occasions last year, which has resulted in regulators seeking…

SpaceX disputes $633K FAA fine, citing ‘systematic challenges’ with agency

California’s newest law could land social media users who post, or repost, AI deepfakes that deceive voters about upcoming elections in legal trouble. Governor Gavin Newsom suggests that AB 2839,…

Elon Musk’s reposts of Kamala Harris deepfakes may not fly under new California law

The team points to glass’ optical properties and its “infinite recyclability” as reasons for turning to the material.

MIT develops recyclable 3D-printed glass blocks for construction

A new FTC report on how social media and streaming sites collect and monetize their hoards of user data doesn’t really feature a lot of surprises for anyone who’s followed…

FTC report on predatory social media data hoarding hints at future regulations

Test subjects were required to move a 30-pound kettlebell up and down a flight of stairs.

This robotic knee exoskeleton is made from consumer braces and drone motors

California residents can now store their driver’s license or state ID in their Apple Wallet apps, the state’s government announced on Thursday. California started allowing digital IDs through Google Wallet…

Apple, Google wallets now support California driver’s licenses

I recently adopted a kitten from a local animal shelter. The modern, well-staffed three-story facility relies almost entirely on donations to operate. It’s just one of the 1.8 million nonprofits…

Virtuous, a fundraising CRM for nonprofits, raises $100M from Susquehanna Growth Equity

Elon Musk is suing the FAA over fines he claims are “politically-motivated.” The former head of the FAA disagrees.

No, the FAA isn’t fining SpaceX because of Elon Musk’s politics, former FAA head says

Starting Thursday, those who are enrolled in Apple’s public beta program will be able to experience the generative AI-fueled platform the company has been talking up since June.

Apple Intelligence is now live in public beta. Here’s what it offers and how to enable it.

This week’s Mobility newsletter looks at a leadership shakeup at Motional, and we go inside the fight over TuSimple’s cash and much more.

A leadership shake-up at Motional, inside the fight over TuSimple’s cash, and Fisker waffles on recall repairs

The company said Thursday that it will put “several” vehicles driven by humans in the two cities that will initially perform mapping.

Cruise robotaxis return to the Bay Area nearly one year after pedestrian crash

The company said it was inspired to create an alternative Photos app after seeing how frustrated iOS 18 early adopters were with Apple’s new design.

For $5, Photon Library brings back the feel of the old iOS Photos app

On Monday, Apple released its latest computer operating system update called macOS 15, or Sequoia. And, somehow, the software update has broken the functionality of several security tools made by…

Apple’s new macOS Sequoia update is breaking some cybersecurity tools

Passkeys, the digital credentials that let you sign into apps and websites without entering a password, are getting easier to use for Chrome users. You can now save passkeys to…

Google rolls out automatic passkey syncing via Password Manager

Launching a new product is challenging, but doing it in a space dominated by tech giants requires bold innovation, sharp strategy, and the ability to scale quickly. TechCrunch Disrupt 2024…

Quilt, Furno Materials, and RA Capital Management share the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

Back Market held a press conference on Thursday morning in Paris to talk about upcoming product launches and give an update on the company’s current situation. If you’re not familiar…

Back Market lays out its plan to make refurbished phones go mainstream

UPchieve, the free, 24/7 online tutoring and college counseling app for low-income students, announced Thursday it’s giving teachers in Title 1 middle schools and high schools a new tool to…

UPchieve, an online tutor app for low-income students, launches a free tool for teachers

In a world where innovation knows no borders, a new trend is rising in the tech ecosystem: national-interest startups. From aerospace and defense to critical infrastructure, these firms are ensuring…

Dcode Capital, Albedo, and Biofire are coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

Startup Battlefield 200 is a major highlight at every Disrupt, and we’re thrilled to find out which of the thousands of startup applicants will get the chance to pitch to…

Announcing our next wave of Startup Battlefield judges at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

Like its rival, Google, Amazon has launched an AI-powered video generator — but it’s only for advertisers at the moment, and somewhat limited in what it can do. Today at…

Amazon releases a video generator — but only for ads

The startup, previously known as GreenBlu, was working on desalination when it realized there was more value in the minerals that were left behind.

Tidal Metals sees seawater as the solution to a critical mineral shortage

Amazon sellers now have access to an AI assistant designed to help grow their business by answering questions about their metrics, and later, helping to resolve issues that arise. The…

Amazon debuts Project Amelia, an AI assistant for sellers

The startup has been methodically exploring how batteries might transform life in emerging markets.

Zeno emerges from stealth to crib Tesla’s master plan for Africa and beyond

In many meetings today, it sometimes feels like there are more AI notetaking and transcription bots than people. There are seemingly dozens of options to choose from these days, but…

AI notetaker Fathom raises $17M

Like most good startup stories, Harbor began life as a product of disappointment. Kevin Lavelle, the co-founder and CEO of innovative clothing company Mizzen and Main, couldn’t find a baby…

Harbor is building a better baby monitor and an army of night nannies

There’s ample opportunity in the form of a mobile billboard. Kiwibot is so convinced of this fact that it plunked down $25 million to purchase Nickelytics.

Kiwibot acquires an ad startup to turn its delivery robots into mobile billboards

The startup will use turbomachinery to develop a heat pump capable of generating industrial-grade heat.

Karman Industries hopes its SpaceX-inspired heat pumps will replace industrial boilers

The European Union has opened two “specification proceedings” on Apple under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) that will see it instructing the iPhone maker on how to comply with…

EU to tell Apple how to do interoperability, DMA style