GitHub’s Ryan Hecht explores how AI-driven development comes to the terminal with GitHub Copilot CLI. This session reveals how terminal workflows benefit from agentic coding, automation, and natural language interactions—all powered by GitHub Copilot.

Power Agentic Workflows in Your Terminal with GitHub Copilot CLI

Speaker: Ryan Hecht, Product Manager, GitHub
Event: GitHub Universe 2025

Overview

This session introduces the GitHub Copilot CLI, which extends the GitHub Copilot experience into the terminal. Using the same AI coding agent that powers the Copilot editor experience, developers can now interact with their code and automate workflows directly from the command line through natural language.

Key Points Covered

  • AI in the Terminal:
    • The session begins with a discussion on why terminal environments benefit from AI-powered development tools.
    • Copilot CLI brings code understanding and generation to shell environments, making tasks more intuitive.
  • Live Demonstrations:
    • Repository Setup: Shows how to initialize and configure a new repository using Copilot CLI.
    • Troubleshooting: Demonstrates AI-assisted resolution of common issues, such as port conflicts, by issuing natural language commands.
    • Bug Fixes with Visual References: Explains how Copilot CLI can interpret image references to help fix visual bugs.
    • Custom Agents for Accessibility: Uses Copilot CLI’s custom agents to review projects for accessibility issues.
    • Delegation and Issue Tracking: Finds and assigns tasks to the Copilot agent.
    • Scripting and Automation: Highlights headless operation for automating complex development workflows.
  • Transparency and Control:
    • Developers retain full visibility and authority over actions performed by the Copilot agent within the terminal.
  • Getting Started:
    • The session concludes with step-by-step guidance on installing and using the Copilot CLI.

Benefits of GitHub Copilot CLI

  • Integrates AI assistance directly within terminal workflows
  • Supports automation, scripting, and custom agent configurations
  • Enhances productivity with natural language interface
  • Enables troubleshooting, debugging, and code reviews without leaving the terminal

Further Resources

For updates on GitHub Copilot and other developer tools, follow GitHub social channels.