GitHub unveils an Operating System for Agents, centered on GitHub Agent HQ, the Copilot CLI, and the Copilot SDK, to unify multiple AI models within code and compliance workflows.

Agent HQ serves as governance and mission-control for AI work, delivering a single auditable view inside VS Code and enabling model-agnostic integration with providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and Cognition to avoid vendor lock-in.

Developers can choose among Copilot, Claude, Codex, or other custom agents when creating tasks, and can assign agents to issues and pull requests, expanding AI-assisted coding across platforms.

Early pilots show marked improvements: PR cycle times cut by about 75%, standardized tasks completed 55% faster, and successful builds up 84%, signaling higher velocity, efficiency, and quality.

The move reflects broader industry competition, with Microsoft testing Claude Code against Copilot to compare AI coding assistants.

Each coding agent consumes a premium request, and developers can compare Copilot, Claude, and Codex on performance and context-switching efficiency.

The integration targets Copilot Pro Plus and Enterprise users, broadening AI-assisted coding across GitHub's ecosystem.

Copilot CLI introduces Plan Mode to pause execution, analyze the workspace, ask clarifying questions, and propose a step-by-step plan before changes, aided by Agentic Memory for team conventions.

Sponsor blurbs highlight AI and cloud security/productivity solutions alongside podcast recommendations, reflecting monetization elements of the rollout.

The initiative aims to move from scattered chatbots to a cohesive, enterprise-ready AI-enabled workforce within GitHub, reducing fragmentation and accelerating adoption.

Copilot SDK enables building internal tools and custom bots with built-in security and compliance, enabling secure communication with internal databases or Jira via MCP.

GitHub emphasizes reducing friction by enabling different agents for different steps without switching tools or losing context, per Chief Product Officer Mario Rodriguez.