The video showcases the enhanced GitHub Copilot coding agent integration in VS Code, allowing developers to assign issues and to-do tasks to AI agents that autonomously create pull requests and manage workflows, thereby freeing developers to focus on complex work. It also introduces new features like multi-session management, improved chat interactions, and a dedicated chat sessions view for tracking agent activities, emphasizing the evolving role of coding agents as collaborative AI teammates.
The video begins with an introduction of Alex and Oswaldo from the VS Code team, who present a demo focused on the GitHub Copilot coding agent integration within VS Code. Alex explains that the coding agent can be assigned tasks just like a human developer, allowing it to work on issues independently by creating pull requests without using local resources. This feature enables developers to delegate simpler or routine tasks to the agent, freeing them to focus on more complex work. The integration requires installing the GitHub Copilot, Chat, and Pull Request extensions, after which users can assign issues to the coding agent directly from the issues view in VS Code.
Alex demonstrates how the coding agent reacts to assigned issues by creating pull requests with meaningful titles and descriptions. Users can monitor the agent’s progress through session logs or notifications within VS Code, though Alex notes that many prefer to simply review the completed work once the agent finishes. The demo also highlights new features such as assigning the coding agent to to-do comments in code, which provides context for the task, and the ability to manage multiple coding agent sessions simultaneously. Improvements to the pull request extension include better webview restoration and enhanced chat interactions that allow users to query the coding agent about active or open pull requests.
Oswaldo then showcases additional integrations and management tools for coding agents within VS Code. He introduces a new chat sessions view that helps users organize and revisit all their chat and agent interactions, including those with GitHub Copilot coding agents. This view provides rich descriptions and detailed logs of agent activities, enabling users to track progress and review changes efficiently. Oswaldo also demonstrates how users can initiate new coding agent tasks directly from this interface, including generating plans for projects like a React app, which can be modified interactively before implementation.
The conversation touches on workflow preferences, with Alex and Oswaldo explaining that the chat sessions view is typically used for managing ongoing agent interactions, while the GitHub pull request view is preferred for reviewing and finalizing pull requests. They also discuss features like status bar notifications for agent tasks and the potential for searching chat session history, which is currently unavailable but considered valuable feedback. Both emphasize the importance of community input to improve these experimental features and encourage users to submit feedback through the VS Code repository.
In closing, the presenters reflect on the evolving role of coding agents as AI teammates that can autonomously handle tasks, allowing developers to delegate work and return later for review and collaboration. This shift in mindset positions coding agents as valuable collaborators rather than mere tools. The session ends with appreciation for the positive community response and a lighthearted note about using coding agents to free up time for real-life activities, highlighting the practical benefits of this integration in everyday development workflows.