GitHub Celebrates 150 Million Users with Free Copilot AI Coding Tool

In a milestone that cements its status as the go-to platform for developers worldwide, GitHub has announced a staggering 150 million-strong user base. The news, unveiled on December 19th, 2024, comes alongside another big reveal: a new GitHub Copilot Free tier that’s sure to spark joy among developers globally. If you’ve been living under a rock (or maybe buried in decades’ worth of legacy code), GitHub is the Microsoft-owned platform empowering programmers to shape the world, one pull request at a time. But this announcement is about way more than just numbers—it’s about propelling the evolution of coding and AI technology.
Let’s break down what’s happening, why it matters, and how it’s set to change the coding game as we know it.

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GitHub Copilot Free: Your AI Coding Sidekick Just Got Better​

At the heart of this announcement is GitHub Copilot Free, now integrated directly into Visual Studio Code (VS Code). For the uninitiated, GitHub Copilot is like a collaborative coding assistant backed by some of the most powerful AI models. It auto-suggests lines and even blocks of code, helping you write code faster, find bugs, and keep your sanity intact when debugging at 2:00 a.m.
But here’s the kicker: with the free tier, all GitHub users can:

• Get 2,000 code completions and 50 chat messages per month.
• Sign in seamlessly with their existing GitHub accounts or create new ones for access.
• Choose between Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet or OpenAI’s (GPT-4o) GPT-4 model.

Gone are the days when these AIs were locked behind paywalls or limited to enterprise users. Whether you’re a hobbyist coder or seasoned professional, Copilot is officially your teammate—and it’s not charging for coffee breaks.

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What’s New About Copilot Chat?​

GitHub has also taken its Copilot Chat capabilities up a notch. Now accessible directly from your GitHub dashboard, this feature aims to make coding less of an uphill battle.

Here’s what you can do with Copilot Chat:​

• Ask coding questions: Whether you’re struggling with esoteric C syntax or unclear API documentation, Copilot Chat has your back.
• Diagnose bugs: Tell it about your problem code, and it might just save you hours by pointing out what’s wrong.
• Implement changes at scale: Need to make edits across an entire project? Copilot can orchestrate that with ninja-like efficiency.
• Interact with third-party agents or create custom integrations: Developers can now fully leverage Copilot's power for tasks outside their immediate environments.

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What’s Driving the Growth? Spotlight on India​

While GitHub thrives globally, the platform’s fastest-growing developer community by far is India. With over 17 million developers in 2024 (a 28% year-over-year jump), India is flexing its might by rapidly adopting generative AI technologies. Some critical stats to underscore this trend:

• India is second only to the United States for contributions to generative AI projects hosted on GitHub.
• Contributions from Indian developers to such projects jumped 95% year-over-year, vaulting the country to third globally—trailing just the US and Hong Kong.
• GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke predicts India will eclipse the US as the largest developer community by 2028.

This rapid growth isn’t just about GitHub—it’s part of a broader trend of Indian developers leading the charge on leveraging AI for innovation at scale. Dohmke even went so far as to suggest that the next big multinational tech company could emerge from India. Talk about setting expectations high!

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The AI Smorgasbord: Claude Vs. GPT-4​

For developers who choose the free tier, GitHub Copilot offers access to two AI models:

• Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet
  Anthropic prides itself on creating “harmonious AI” models that are accurate and inherently safer. Claude 3.5 is a sophisticated model, designed to handle complex queries while being aligned for ethical use. Whether it’s obscure bug hunting or explaining convoluted functions, Claude’s algorithm focuses on user-centric responses.
• OpenAI’s GPT-4o
  OpenAI’s vaunted GPT-4 is the workhorse behind many applications, praised for its flexibility across creative code-writing, debugging, and predictive modeling.

What’s exciting is that GitHub leaves this choice up to developers. Whether you feel more comfortable with Claude’s structured responses or GPT-4’s panache, there’s an engine for every kind of coder.

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What It Means for Everyday Developers​

With GitHub’s free tier, the barriers to collaborating with AI tech—and leveling up one’s workflow—are being obliterated. Here’s why this shift is revolutionary:

• Lower Cost of Entry: By democratizing access to advanced AI tools, GitHub is empowering everyone—not just enterprise clients with deep pockets—to build smarter and faster.
• Portable Productivity: The free tier is perfect for startups, students, or devs just messing around with personal projects.
• Rapid Prototyping: AI-assisted tools make testing concepts and iterating on ideas far more time-efficient.

Whether you’re working on your first Python script or architecting the backend for a billion-dollar app, products like Copilot significantly cut down the time spent on grunt work.

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What’s Next for GitHub?​

This announcement isn’t just about reflecting on milestones; it’s a statement of intent. With lofty goals like 200 million users and becoming the epicenter of generative AI-powered development, GitHub’s ambitions are as vast as its influence. But as more developers embrace tools like Copilot, we can’t help but wonder: What lies ahead for the ethical use of AI in coding? How will GitHub tackle potential pitfalls like AI bias, security flaws, or copyright disputes as these tools become mainstream?
It’s clear that GitHub’s evolution mirrors a broader technological shift. AI is no longer about what it can do—but about what it will let us do better.

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Final Takeaway: A New Era in Coding​

GitHub’s achievements and innovations signal a new era, not just for code but for how humans and machines collaborate to build the future. Reaching 150 million developers is a milestone, but unlocking AI-powered tools like Copilot for free ensures that the playing field is leveled for dreamers across the globe. From Bangalore to Berlin, the next generation of coders has everything they need—not just to write software, but to change the world.
Are you excited or skeptical about the rise of AI-assisted coding? Share your thoughts on GitHub’s latest leap in the comments below—because this debate affects all of us.

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Source: ET Telecom GitHub surpasses 150 million developers, launches new free tier