GitHub Copilot Launches Agent Mode, Introduces Premium AI Model Charges

GitHub has rolled out a new version of its Copilot AI coding assistant, introducing 'Agent Mode' for Visual Studio Code, which enhances its capabilities by allowing the tool to autonomously analyze projects and suggest necessary changes. This update is designed to improve developers' workflows by breaking down tasks into subtasks and automating actions based on user prompts. Additionally, GitHub announced a premium request system that will impose rate limits on users who switch to more advanced AI models, potentially increasing costs for some users. The premium request system offers different tiers, allowing users to access a variety of large language models, with Copilot's premium models being priced based on usage. CEO Thomas Dohmke emphasized that these updates aim to make Copilot more 'agentic' and integrated into development processes. The enhancements come as GitHub Copilot has already been a significant revenue driver for GitHub since its introduction.