Is coding a crucial next step for your startup but you don’t know where to start? GitHub Copilot is a beginner friendly tool for you. GitHub Copilot is a code suggestion tool that auto completes your code, allowing you to write code more efficiently. This AI pair programmer is a collaboration between GitHub and OpenAI and is available as an extension to Visual Studio Code and GitHub Codespaces, a cloud-based development environment. 

How does it work? GitHub Copilot is trained on open source code from public repositories in all programming languages, which allows the tool to be very powerful. For example, you can write a comment about what you want the code to do and GitHub Copilot will suggest the code for the function. Below is an example of a user writing the function comment in green, and letting the tool suggest code based on the comment. Think of it like how Gmail autocompletes messages for you. 

For non-programmers, GitHub Copilot can be used to build simple applications and prototypes without having to learn how to code. You can describe what you want the program to do and the tool will generate code for you. This will also allow you to learn how to program. For programmers, this AI pair programmer allows you to write code more quickly and accurately. This allows you to save time and for you to focus on more important aspects of your application. As of now, GitHub Copilot is a paid subscription for individuals and businesses, but it is free for teachers and students. However, it is a great tool to help start your coding career. 

Sources: Tech Crunch