Microsoft’s AI Copilot, developed by GitHub and based on OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence, is starting to automate the coding industry. The tool, which was initially released in a preview version in 2021, has shown significant potential in streamlining the coding process.
Software developer Nikolai Avteniev, who works for ticket seller StubHub, was surprised by how efficiently Copilot could complete lines of code with just a few prompts. He noted that instead of using 15 keystrokes, it took three.
Now, three years later, GitHub’s Copilot, infused with the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT-4 technology, can do a lot more. It can answer engineers’ questions and convert code from one programming language to another. As a result, the assistant is responsible for an increasingly significant percentage of the software being written and is even being used to program corporations’ critical systems.
Microsoft says Copilot has attracted 1.3 million customers so far, including 50,000 businesses ranging from small startups to corporations like Goldman Sachs, Ford, and Ernst & Young. Engineers say Copilot saves them hundreds of hours a month by handling tedious and repetitive tasks, affording them time to focus on more complex challenges.
However, GitHub Copilot has limitations. Developers say it sometimes pulls up outdated code, provides unhelpful answers to questions, and generates suggestions that are buggy or could infringe copyright. Because the tool is trained on public and open repositories of code, engineers run the risk of replicating security issues or injecting new ones into their work, particularly if they blindly accept Copilot’s recommendations.
GitHub emphasizes that the tool is an assistant, not a substitute for human programmers, and has put the onus on customers to use it wisely.
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