GitHub Copilot is an AI-powered coding assistant that helps developers write and modify code across multiple files. Popular among software engineers, it features terminal integration with convenient hotkey access and supports code generation from designs. While still evolving, Copilot offers customization options like AI model selection and instruction files, making it particularly useful for developers who want AI assistance with coding tasks and project-wide modifications.

GitHub Copilot excels with its free tier, offering features like AI-powered terminal assistance and autogenerated commit messages. The inline autocomplete boosts coding speed, and custom instructions provide personalized behavior, streamlining tasks like generating boilerplate code or quickly explaining functions. Businesses can leverage Copilot to accelerate development and improve developer workflow, particularly for routine coding tasks.

By contrast, Copilot's multi-file editing is unreliable, hampered by slow codebase searches and indexing issues. The code generation quality sometimes disappoints, producing incomplete or disorganized results. These limitations, especially the UX problems like false update notifications and infinite loading states, detract from the experience.

While Copilot's free access and terminal integration are appealing, the inconsistent performance and code quality concerns are significant. Cautious businesses should weigh the benefits against the potential frustrations before fully adopting it.

Boost team efficiency by creating custom instruction files within GitHub Copilot that enforce specific coding styles and architectural patterns. Share these instruction files across your development team to ensure consistent code quality and reduce the time spent on code reviews, leading to faster project completion and fewer style-related bugs.