Slashdot: Microsoft Open Sources Copilot Chat for VS Code on GitHub

Jul 5, 2025

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Source URL: https://developers.slashdot.org/story/25/07/05/1935203/microsoft-open-sources-copilot-chat-for-vs-code-on-github
Source: Slashdot
Title: Microsoft Open Sources Copilot Chat for VS Code on GitHub

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AI Summary and Description: Yes

Summary: Microsoft has open-sourced the GitHub Copilot Chat extension for VS Code, allowing developers to access its internal workings, including data handling and telemetry. This transparency is significant for security, as it enables better auditing and customization, particularly in environments where compliance is crucial.

Detailed Description: The recent announcement by Microsoft concerning the GitHub Copilot Chat extension for Visual Studio Code represents a noteworthy shift towards transparency in AI-assisted coding tools. Here are the key points of relevance to security, privacy, and compliance professionals:

– **Open Source Release**: The source code is now available under the MIT license, allowing developers to scrutinize and customize the extension.

– **Agent Mode Implementation**: The internal workings of “agent mode” are now public, providing clarity on how contextual data interacts with large language models (LLMs).

– **Telemetry Collection Mechanisms**: Details regarding data collection practices are documented in the GitHub repository, addressing concerns about data transparency and privacy.

– **Community Engagement**: The move towards open-sourcing aligns with a growing trend to leverage community expertise in identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities in development tools.

– **Mitigating Secrecy**: The shift in focus from secrecy to openness is driven by the increasing targeting of development tools by malicious entities.

– **Implications for Enterprise Environments**: Enterprises can audit how data is managed and ensure compliance and security controls are upheld, which is critical when employing AI in sensitive areas of development.

– **Limitations**: Although the extension is open source, the backend models remain closed source, meaning developers cannot self-host or fully customize the AI experience significantly.

– **Future Enhancements**: Microsoft plans to integrate inline code completions into the Copilot Chat extension, further centralizing its offerings within an open-source framework.

The open-source initiative encourages organizations to adopt AI tools like GitHub Copilot with greater confidence, knowing they can subject these tools to scrutiny that supports compliance and security objectives.

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