Programmers love to code, and may even consider their most favorite programming language as their second language.
But to many of those coders, coding can sometimes be a choir. The syntaxes and more, things can be confusing, even for the most seasoned programmers. Microsoft knows that very well, and this is why it is introducing an AI to help programmers in doing what they do.
Microsoft and GitHub developed the Ai with the help from OpenAI.
The AI here, can simplify the process of programming.
To do this, the AI that is called 'GitHub Copilot', draws on source code uploaded to code-sharing service GitHub, which Microsoft acquired in 2018, as well as other sources.
Nat Friedman, CEO of GitHub, describes Copilot as a virtual version of what developers call a "pair programmer," a term to describe when two developers work side-by-side collaboratively on the same project.
GitHub Copilot works by scanning the code and comments inside the file users open, as well as the location of the cursor.
The tool can then suggest one or more lines to add, base on that information.
Because it uses AI, the tool can learn as its user programmers accept or reject suggestions, to become more sophisticated over time.
The AI is powered by the controversial state-of-the-art GPT-3 text-generation AI model, with OpenAI saying that the tool can handle "code completion."
GPT-3 was not trained to help coding. Instead, OpenAI's initial intention was to make it a general purpose language model that could, for example, generate articles, fix incorrect grammar and translate one language to another.
But knowing and seeing what this GPT-3 can do from researchers and other programmers, OpenAI's Chairman and CTO Greg Brockman realized the potential of the AI, and reached out to Friedman.
And this was when OpenAI and GitHub started collaborating to develop the GPT-3 model to create what they call the 'Codex', which is the core of the Copilot's AI model.
An AI pair programmer in your editor.
Powered by OpenAI Codex, a new AI system which can convert from natural language to code with increasing reliability.
Codex will be coming to our API later this summer. Will make it possible to build a new class of applications. https://t.co/S2FbdVcMOy— Greg Brockman (@gdb) June 29, 2021
"We've built a number of safety mechanisms into Copilot that we think are cutting-edge in terms of reducing the chances of mistakes in various areas here, but they're definitely not perfect," Friedman said, as he try to suggest that his employees have tried to ensure that GitHub Copilot can generate secure, high-quality code.
Hundreds of developers at GitHub have been using the Copilot feature all day while coding, Friedman said, and the majority of them are accepting suggestions and not turning the feature off.
Microsoft sponsors OpenAI, and with a deal, the Redmond-based company has been given an exclusive license to access its GPT-3 text-generation AI model.
But still, Microsoft has no plans to make this GitHub Copilot a project of its own.
Because of that OpenAI plans to release the Codex model to third-party developers, so they can embed the technology.
For years, tech companies rely on programmers to build the foundation their business run. And for them, their human developers have long been the workforce that made this happened.
Microsoft and some others have been trying to tech computers to write codes.
While the method has yet to go mainstream, Microsoft and GitHub, with the help of OpenAI are highlighting a huge effort to make this closer to realization.
With GitHub Copilot, coding should become faster.
Previously, Microsoft and OpenAI partnered to create Power Fx, which allows people to code using their natural language.