What is Vibe Coding?
It’s a new way of programming in which you prompt the AI Coding Assistant with what you want, and the model will do it for you!
This term was popularised by Andrej Karpathy, the ex-co-founder of OpenAI.
New code IDEs, such as Cursor and Windsurf, are built on this concept and have quickly gained traction among software engineers.
Technically speaking, the ability of an LLM to decompose a task into a chain of thought and invoke the appropriate “tools” for each step is made possible by LLM-agent technology.
And now Github Copilot joined its peers and released the Agent Mode for VS Code!
What are the differences between Edit Mode and Agent Mode
So far, GitHub Copilot has only worked in two modes: Ask and Edit.
The Ask mode is akin to if you write a prompt in any Chatbot environment when you want to ask a specific question.
The Edit Mode is the mode you use if you want to change some code in your project. So what’s the difference between Edit Mode and Agent Mode?
Edit Mode
You maintain granular control over the editing process.
You explicitly select which files Copilot can edit.
You provide context and instructions with each iteration.
After each Copilot suggestion, you decide whether to accept, modify, or reject the proposed changes.
Best suited for well-defined, scoped tasks where you want to review every step before changes are applied.
Agent Mode
Copilot acts as an autonomous peer programmer, handling multi-step coding tasks at your command.
It independently analyses your codebase, determines which files to edit, and proposes code changes and terminal commands.
Agent Mode can run, monitor, and respond to compile or lint errors, and will iterate, making further edits or running commands, until the original task is complete.
It can perform complex tasks such as creating apps from scratch, refactoring across multiple files, writing and running tests, migrating code, and integrating new libraries—all from a single prompt.
You retain oversight: every tool invocation is shown in the UI, terminal commands require your approval, and you can undo any changes easily.
Best for open-ended or multi-step tasks where you want Copilot to handle the workflow autonomously
Feature Comparison Table
Long story short, the Agent Mode enables Vibe Coding!
How to turn on GitHub Copilot Agent Mode in VS Code
GitHub said that it’s rolling out this feature slowly, but as long as you install the latest VS Code, you can turn the feature on yourself.
Note that this feature only comes to VS Code. Support for Jetbrains is not certain, though I can’t imagine that it won’t be there eventually.
So, first check if you have the Agent Mode turn on already by looking at the list of mode you have in the the Copilot Chat.
If you don’t have ‘Agent’ listed, go to your User Settings, look for the keyword ‘Agent’ and turn it on.
Congratulations, you have Agent Mode! Enjoy!
Drop a comment on how you think about this way of writing code 😜
Hi there, I’m Chris Prakoso.I believe that AI isn’t here to replace us—it’s here to elevate us. In Augmented Humanity, I explore how AI, data, and emerging tech enhance human potential, reshape industries, and redefine human-machine collaboration. I break down complex breakthroughs, share real-world applications, and uncover how AI empowers us in ways we never imagined. Join me in navigating a future where humanity and AI evolve together—intelligently, ethically, and creatively. 🚀🤖Please subscribe, like, share and restack.