Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats 903: Fork Yeah! Microsoft open sourcing Copilot
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May 19, 2025 
In this lively discussion, Erich Gamma, creator of VS Code, and Kai Maetzel, Copilot Lead, dive into the exciting transition of Microsoft Copilot from closed-source to open-source. They explore how AI is reshaping coding practices, the importance of community involvement, and challenges in integrating AI effectively. The duo shares insights on maintaining VS Code's identity within forks and tackles the implications of Copilot's public context for future software development. It's an enlightening chat about the future of coding with AI!
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Scott's Editor Switch Story
- Scott Tolinski switched from Sublime Text to VS Code after initially advocating for Sublime.
- His move exemplified convincing developer adoption of VS Code through community influence.
VS Code's Growth Journey
- VS Code’s "overnight success" was actually a decade of steady growth and monthly releases.
- This approach steadily built a strong developer base leading to 40 million active users.
Open Sourcing Copilot AI Features
- Microsoft will open source AI features from GitHub Copilot integrated into VS Code.
- This extends the open source ethos that has driven VS Code’s success to its AI-powered capabilities.