GitHub's Copilot surprised many developers with its ability to "understand code", offering to complete it for you. Trained on millions of lines of source code from GitHub, Copilot rapidly proved its name was apt. It was the closest you could get to having a free assistant to lend a helping hand.
Then it left beta and, in what many regarded as a "bait and switch" approach, GitHub asked everyone who'd like to keep using it to pay.
Now You See It, Now You Don’t!
Thanks to GPT-3’s AI superpowers, Copilot leapfrogged over the former gold standard in code completion, IntelliSense. By learning how other coders on GitHub have solved problems, Copilot can offer solutions to similar issues at a key press.
Initially, you could only try Copilot through a closed beta. After registering and adding a plugin to your favorite editor (like VS Code), Copilot was ready to use.
Then, the beta ended. When trying to use Copilot, its plugin wouldn't work, a problem you could only fix by paying 10ドル per month.
Free Open-Source Code at Affordable Prices
Copilot didn't magically "learn about code". Just like GPT-3 has analyzed millions of articles to learn "how to write", Copilot analyzed existing code on GitHub to learn "how to code". During Copilot's beta, that wasn't an issue. Now, though, GitHub is using other people's work and intellectual property to gain income via Copilot.
An extra problem is that each piece of code Copilot analyzed might come with a different user license. Some might allow free duplication and modification, others not. Plus, if a bit of code contains errors or is malicious, Copilot won't judge! Code is code, after all. Right?
So, Copilot opens the floodgates for legal problems:
- If you use Copilot's suggestions, how can you be sure you aren't presenting someone else's slightly tweaked code as your own?
- How can you ensure somebody else won't use your GitHub project in their solution, monetizing your work without paying you a dime?
- Can you legally monetize a project you created with Copilot's help if it uses snippets from GitHub projects whose license forbids it?
If Copilot itself were both free and open-source, it would be "more aligned" to most licenses used by projects hosted on GitHub. While in beta, it seemed that would be the case. Now, it isn't.
Another issue is that Copilot may not guarantee results. Its 10ドル monthly cost may be small for some, but to developers in some parts of the world, it's a huge increase from 0ドル.
Officially, Copilot will remain free "for maintainers of popular open-source software on GitHub and verified students". That should include the maintainers of LibreOffice, Firefox, or GIMP for example.
Alternatives May Be Friendlier to Open-Source
Copilot might be the most popular "AI code assistant" (there isn't a proper established term for "that type of solution" yet), but it's not the only one. There are alternatives, and many who tried Copilot during its beta and don't like its new subscription model are flocking to them.
Some of the most interesting are:
- Tabnine is one of the most popular code-completion solutions. Its AI-assisted suggestions, like Copilot, demand a subscription (at 12ドル per month). However, its "basic" version is free for all and, although "not as smart", can be quite the helper.
- Kite is another popular code completion solution. It offers a free version that supports over a dozen programming languages and code editors. Their monetization plan is primarily powered by one language—Python—for which they offer paid support.
- CodeWhisperer is Amazon's take on coding AI assistants and looks quite promising. However, we wouldn't know. Like Copilot's previous status, Amazon's CodeWhisperer is only accessible through a restricted waitlist.
- GPT-Code-Clippy is a rising star in the AI code completion world as it's the closest open-source alternative to Copilot. Like Copilot, GPT-Code-Clippy is based on GPT-3 and trained on thousands of GitHub projects. To ensure high-quality output, its training used only projects with over 10 GitHub stars. It also required projects to have at least two commits, accompanied by a license, excluding forks.
- Captain Stack follows a different approach: instead of relying on AI for its code suggestions, it uses Google to search for solutions. Then, it retrieves and presents answers and code suggestions from StackOverflow.
Coding Less Before a Codeless Future
Copilot's new subscription model is, in many ways, a barrier for those interested in AI code completion. It might be the most advanced solution of its kind currently available, but thankfully, it seems that's only temporary.
Alternatives already exist, and despite not being on the same level, they're pretty close. Many follow a similar approach or even share the same tech or knowledge base behind Copilot. Some are fully open-source and rapidly evolving.
Soon, though, those might become obsolete, too. The next step in coding assistants removes the need to write code altogether. It allows you to write programs using natural language. Your dream of telling your PC to "make a game" and seeing the results instantly pop on the screen may soon be a reality.