Confessions of a Code Whisperer: Decoding GitHub Copilot with Our Engineers

Remember that scene in The Matrix where Neo downloads kung fu skills straight into his brain? That's kind of what it feels like using GitHub Copilot, the AI pair programmer. In fact, many engineers claim Copilot is the best AI for code in the world of AI development tools.

But is it actually transforming the way engineers write code? Here at GAP, We decided to do an investigation with our engineers and get the unfiltered truth so that you can learn from our experience.

Supercharged Coding: Speed and Efficiency Gains

The hype is real – a whopping 35% of our engineers admit they're coding faster and more efficiently with Copilot on their side. It's like having the smartest programmer you know right next to you giving you the perfect shortcut or function you forgot existed. The chat feature also gets a thumbs-up for keeping that flow state going without having to constantly Google everything.  For instance, you can request Copilot chat to create a test suite for your project or individual function.  Moreover, once created you can execute the test suite, and if any test fails then the Copilot chat can explain the issue and provide updated code to resolve the breaking test.

Code Quality: The Good, the Bad, and the Meh

Here's where things get interesting. When it comes to code quality, opinions are all over the map. Some folks swear Copilot's made their code cleaner and more consistent, while others raise an eyebrow at some of the suggestions it throws out. The takeaway? Copilot's not a silver bullet for perfect code, but it’s definitely a valuable tool in the right hands.

Pairing copilot with a code analyzer like the code analyzer tool in .NET 8 can be a good way to double check code quality and performance.

Leveling Up Your Coding: A Learning Assistant

Ever feel like you can’t keep up with all the latest tech trends? Copilot's got you covered. Half of our engineers say it's helped them learn new coding languages and concepts faster than ever. It's like having a 24/7 tutor (a very patient and compassionate tutor too!) As opposed to real people on forums like StackOverflow and Reddit, Copilot never gets impatient and is always respectful in its responses.

Security: Not Quite the Watchdog We Expected

Surprise! While we thought Copilot might be a security panacea, it turns out it's not raising as many red flags as we hoped. We're still relying on our same old security tools and processes to keep things safe, such as Lint and IntelliJ Idea.  This shows that we haven’t given ourselves the chance to evaluate Copilot capabilities to automatically identify common security vulnerabilities and signal them.  Let’s keep in mind that Copilot can help us deliver on our code security commitment by providing real-time, context-aware suggestions that mitigate potential risks.

Collaboration: Not So Much of a Team Player (Yet)

Here's another plot twist. We thought Copilot might revolutionize how teams work together, but so far, it's mostly a solo act. Most teams aren't even discussing how to use it effectively. We think this is a missed opportunity and are hoping to make progress in this area.

While Copilot for Microsoft 365 is shaping up to be quite the collaboration tool for Microsoft documents and teams, we are hoping to see it make its way onto Github and developer platforms. 

Making Copilot Even Better: Here’s Our Wish List

Our engineers aren't shy about giving feedback, and Copilot's no exception. They'd love to see it get even better at:

• Reducing the number of wonky suggestions that need fixing
• Keeping up with the latest frameworks and libraries
• Being more helpful with interpreted languages
• Understanding context better than just the current file

The Road Ahead: We’re Embracing Copilot and AI

Here's the deal: GitHub Copilot isn't going anywhere. It's already proving its worth in boosting individual productivity and learning. Now, it's up to us to figure out how to use its power while still keeping our code rock-solid and our teams collaborating.

Let's be real, the future of coding is going to involve AI, and I, for one, am looking forward to a world where I have a full-time (it never sleeps, amirite?) code assistant.

Interested in helping your team adopt Copilot? Email us at info@wearegap.com

You can read the full report here.