GitHub Copilot July Update: Smarter Visual Studio AI Dev Tools

GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio has a new update for July. This update brings a new agent based on the Copilot SDK and includes built-in expertise from the .NET and Azure teams. What's new is a public preview of a new Agent option in Copilot Chat. This agent is designed to complete tasks more accurately and with less back-and-forth interaction. Its responses are also shorter and easier to scan. Visual Studio now also features built-in skills from .NET and Azure experts. These skills are off by default, allowing users to enable only those relevant to their tasks. Another new feature lets users review selected code with Copilot. You can highlight a code block, right-click, and choose "Review Selection" to get inline comments and suggestions. Finally, GitHub organization owners can now add custom instructions that apply across their entire organization. This tailors Copilot's responses to shared preferences without individual developer configuration. These organization-level instructions require GitHub Copilot Business or Enterprise plans, while other new features are available in all plans. These updates aim to make GitHub Copilot more tailored and efficient for developers.