GitHub Copilot unveils new features & premium options

GitHub has introduced a series of new features for GitHub Copilot, designed to provide developers with enhanced control and functionality.

A significant addition is the agent mode with Model Context Protocol (MCP) support, which allows developers using VS Code to translate their ideas into workable code through straightforward prompting. The support of MCP grants access to necessary contexts or capabilities, akin to a USB port for intelligence.

Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, commented, "Allow us to reintroduce ourselves: GitHub Copilot is getting a whole lot more agentic with increased context of your tools and services, powered by the world's leading models, starting today. In keeping with our commitment to offer multi-model choice, we're making Anthropic Claude 3.5, 3.7 Sonnet, 3.7 Sonnet Thinking, Google Gemini 2.0 Flash, and OpenAI o3-mini generally available via premium requests, included in all paid Copilot tiers. With the new Pro+ tier, individual developers get the most out of the latest models with Copilot."

Furthermore, GitHub has unveiled the GitHub MCP server, allowing developers to integrate GitHub functionalities into any large language model tool that supports MCP. This extends the utility of GitHub across various contexts and use cases.

Dohmke further added, "The agent awakening doesn't stop there. We are also announcing the general availability of the Copilot code review agent, which in just over a month in preview has been used by over 1 million developers on GitHub. Plus, the general availability of next edit suggestions so you can tab tab tab your way to coding glory."

Agent mode is becoming progressively available to VS Code users, and developers can activate it manually. It facilitates translating simple prompts into actionable code, going beyond routine tasks by suggesting terminal commands or tool executions and addressing runtime errors autonomously. It also supports model integrations such as Claude 3.5, 3.7 Sonnet, Google Gemini 2.0 Flash, and OpenAI GPT-4o.

The introduction of MCP in public preview is intended to streamline the diverse range of tasks developers undertake by allowing agent mode to employ various tools, enhancing its contextual and operational abilities. This ensures that coder assistance is more interactive and sensitive to context.

Premium model requests are also part of these updates, offering clients of different subscription tiers varying allotments of requests per month. For instance, Copilot Pro subscribers will have 300 monthly requests, while those on the Pro+ tier will access 1,500 requests for USD $39 monthly.

GitHub Copilot's fraternity of paid users can opt to pay for additional premium requests, allowing for the use of powerful models beyond the number included in their plan, while maintaining cost control through spending limits.

These developments coincide with Microsoft's 50th anniversary, marking a milestone in its history and highlighting its enduring connection with developer communities. GitHub, as part of Microsoft's future vision, aims to further facilitate developers worldwide.