Angry GitHub users want to ditch Copilot features "forced" upon them

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Developers don’t want GitHub’s Copilot features

GitHub Copilot Coding Agent
(Image credit: GitHub)
  • GitHub users are getting fed up of how much they’re being forced to use Copilot
  • Two of the most popular discussions this year were about this
  • Microsoft says GitHub Copilot users are growing in number

Despite generative AI’s stronghold in the developer community, where it’s been proven to boost productivity and increase output (albeit at the cost of quality, per multiple reports), many GitHub users want to actively avoid it.

The Register found that among the most popular GitHub discussions over the past year were two relating to blocking Copilot from generating issues/pull requests, and an inability to disable Copilot code reviews – neither of which have been resolved.

Users are seemingly unhappy about GitHub Copilot’s intrusiveness, including how it trains on user code without consent.

GitHub users don’t actually want Copilot

One discussion author, Andi McClure, has repeatedly filed requests to remove or block Copilot features in GitHub and VS Code, but has so far been unsuccessful. McClure notes that community support against Copilot has grown in the past six months.

Despite this, the Microsoft-owned platform seems intent on pushing more and more GenAI features on users. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently revealed Copilot now has 20 million users, noting a 75% quarterly increase in enterprise adoption.

Nadella also noted Microsoft’s “family of Copilot apps has surpassed 100 million active users.” Nine in 10 Fortune 100 companies are said to be GitHub Copilot users, but developers themselves don’t seem too enthused.

Developers are worried about AI-generated “slop” that requires heavy reviewing, its use of copyrighted code without attribution, its accuracy and correctness, and also the ethics surrounding its effects of the community.

“Although Microsoft's been forcing the Copilot 'asks' into more and more places in the interface for a while, sometime this year they hit an inflection point where mass numbers of people don't feel like ignoring it anymore, where before they could shrug and ignore it or find the off switch,” McClure told The Register.

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Craig Hale
Craig Hale

With several years’ experience freelancing in tech and automotive circles, Craig’s specific interests lie in technology that is designed to better our lives, including AI and ML, productivity aids, and smart fitness. He is also passionate about cars and the decarbonisation of personal transportation. As an avid bargain-hunter, you can be sure that any deal Craig finds is top value!

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