Part of my AI & code experiments.
GitHub Copilot is the AI pair-programmer that lives inside your editor. It autocompletes whole lines and blocks as you type, and its chat can explain code, write tests, and fix bugs. Here is how I get it running in VS Code and JetBrains.
What you need first
- A GitHub account.
- A Copilot plan. There is a Copilot Free tier with a monthly cap, plus paid Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans for full access.
- A supported editor: Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, Neovim, or a JetBrains IDE (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and friends).
Set up in VS Code
VS Code makes this almost zero-effort:
- Open VS Code and start the Copilot setup from the Copilot icon in the title bar (the required extensions install automatically).
- Click Sign in and authorize with your GitHub account in the browser.
- Back in the editor, start typing. Grey “ghost text” suggestions appear inline. Press Tab to accept.
- Open Copilot Chat from the sidebar to ask questions about your code.
Set up in a JetBrains IDE
- Open Settings → Plugins, search the Marketplace for “GitHub Copilot”, install it, and click Restart IDE.
- Go to Tools → GitHub Copilot → Login to GitHub.
- Click Copy and Open to grab the device code, paste it in the browser, and click Continue.
- Click Authorize GitHub Copilot Plugin, then confirm back in the IDE.
Using it day to day
Two things do most of the work:
- Inline suggestions: keep typing and Copilot proposes the next line or block. A descriptive function name or a short comment describing intent gives it the context it needs.
- Copilot Chat: select some code and ask it to explain, refactor, document, or write tests. It is great for unfamiliar code and boilerplate.
Stay the quality control
Copilot is confident even when it is wrong. Treat every suggestion as a draft from an eager junior: read it, make sure it actually fits your codebase, and never accept code you would not be willing to sign your name to. The autocomplete is the easy part. Your judgement is the value.
Plans and the setup flow change over time, so check the official GitHub Copilot docs for the current details.
You Are the Quality Control
GitHub Copilot lets you write code faster than ever, but speed without judgement is exactly how bugs, data loss and security holes slip in. My book You Are the Quality Control is a practical guide to building secure software in the age of AI-assisted development, so you can move fast with tools like GitHub Copilot without compromising security, reliability or data safety.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
- Review AI-generated code with a security-first eye, so risky changes never reach production.
- Put the right foundation, infrastructure and guardrails around AI-assisted projects.
- Build the habits and quality-first mindset that prevent data loss and costly mistakes.
- Stay the human in the loop, because the most important layer of quality control is still you.