Microsoft's July update for Visual Studio introduces a new Agent feature in Copilot Chat, leveraging the same GitHub Copilot SDK that powers Copilot CLI. The Agent is designed to handle complex, multi-step coding tasks with less back-and-forth interaction, allowing developers to guide it with higher-level instructions and trust it to execute the details. This shift from conversational prompting to agentic execution represents a step forward in AI-assisted development, potentially reducing context switching and improving focus. For teams already using GitHub Copilot, this update promises a more seamless integration into daily workflows, especially for tasks like refactoring, test generation, and codebase exploration. The preview is available now, and developers can enable it from the Copilot Chat settings. As AI coding tools evolve, features like this will likely become standard, making it essential for developers to stay informed about these capabilities.
Visual Studio's July update adds a new Agent to Copilot Chat, built on the GitHub Copilot SDK. It reduces iterative prompting and helps developers complete multi-step tasks faster.