Microsoft Reveals Next Gen AI Tools for Devs at GitHub Universe

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Fueling the future of development, Microsoft reveals AI-driven tools to streamline and enhance developer workflows in GitHub and VS Code.

Key takeaways

• GitHub Copilot for Azure now offers @azure commands, enabling streamlined resource management directly within GitHub and VS Code.
• Ready-to-use templates support rapid deployment with built-in security features, easing development across multiple environments.
• GitHub Models lets developers experiment with Azure’s model library, available in GitHub Marketplace for on-demand performance testing.
• The New Copilot tool automates Java runtime updates, minimizing manual intervention and ensuring compatibility with popular frameworks like Spring Boot.

AI-enhanced developer workflows with GitHub Copilot

Microsoft’s latest updates to GitHub Copilot integrate Azure AI more deeply within developer environments like VS Code. 

This includes the @azure command, a convenient tool that offers direct assistance for managing resources, deploying apps, and troubleshooting within workflows, making the developer’s job easier. 

The Microsoft product designer Spencer Reynolds notes that the updates enable seamless interaction with Azure, such as viewing and provisioning resources.

Quick start with AI app templates

Microsoft has introduced AI App Templates to jumpstart new projects, empower developers, and accelerate development. These templates offer pre-built components for environments, including GitHub Codespaces and Visual Studio. 

Kristen Womack, principal product manager for Azure Developer CLI, describes these templates as “fully working applications” with ready-to-deploy code, infrastructure as code (IaC), CI/CD pipelines, and modular components like keyless authentication.

Read More: Microsoft Copilot Adds Power with AI Agents & Design Tools

Experiment using GitHub models

Now in preview, GitHub Models connects developers to Azure AI’s model library within GitHub Marketplace. It provides access to proprietary and open-source models, giving developers the flexibility to choose the best fit for their needs. 

Developers can compare and customize models in real time, scaling from free tiers to enterprise environments using Azure’s tokenized infrastructure for added security. 

This infrastructure ensures that sensitive data is protected at all levels, from model training to deployment, giving developers the confidence to use AI in various applications.

Streamlining Java runtime upgrades with Copilot

Addressing the complexities of Java upgrades, Microsoft introduces an AI-powered GitHub Copilot upgrade assistant for Java. 

This feature streamlines updates by analyzing projects and providing tailored guidance, such as setting parameters like JDK paths. 

Microsoft’s senior program manager, Nick Zhu, highlights that the tool generates a GitHub issue for document upgrade tasks.

Optimizing AI with A/B testing and CI/CD workflows

Developers can run A/B tests and continuous evaluations with the Azure AI Evaluation SDK and GitHub Actions integration. 

These tools help optimize AI models by assessing real-world performance, offering metrics for coherence and fluency, and providing custom insights to enhance decision-making. 

For instance, the Azure AI Evaluation SDK and GitHub Actions integration enables developers to run A/B tests and continuous evaluations, providing real-time feedback on model performance and suggesting potential improvements.

Microsoft’s enhanced toolset redefines AI-powered development, making GitHub and Azure intuitive powerhouses for developers worldwide.

Source: InfoQ

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