Microsoft has open-sourced the GitHub Copilot Chat extension under the MIT license as part of its effort to make Visual Studio Code an open-source AI editor.
The company aims for transparency, extensibility, and developer-centric AI tooling, welcoming contributions and feedback on GitHub towards integrating the extension into the core VS Code codebase.
The move aligns with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's commitment to AI-powered development, integrating AI capabilities directly into VS Code's core as the industry demands more openness in developer tooling.
While the GitHub Copilot extension for inline completions remains closed, Microsoft plans to bring this functionality into the open-sourced Chat extension in the near future, signaling a strategic shift in how developers engage with AI.