GitHub Launches Copilot Agent Mode, CEOs Prefer AI for Business Plans, and Eric Schmidt Leads Relativity Space Expansion

GitHub, the world's largest software code repository, is enhancing its Copilot AI co-developer with agent mode, introduced during Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebrations. This new feature, now available on Visual Studio Code, expands Copilot's functionality beyond answering questions by enabling it to perform tasks like autofixing code errors and executing terminal commands. GitHub also launched the GitHub Copilot Pro+ plan, providing premium access to advanced models from Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI, and is rolling out the Copilot code review agent globally. Agent mode's capabilities are enhanced with the Model Context Protocol, allowing integration with various tools for context-sensitive coding support. Additionally, GitHub offers premium request tiers for Copilot customers, with a plan to introduce limits and costs for these new features starting in May 2025. (Source)

In the evolving era of autonomous transformation, businesses are increasingly adopting AI agents to optimize operations and create value. Despite a crowded market of vendors offering AI solutions, many organizations fall short by merely automating existing tasks, missing out on potentially greater, untapped value. The article emphasizes the importance of the SPAR framework—sense, plan, act, and reflect—as a method to enhance AI agents' functionality, enabling them to pursue complex goals effectively. Instead of conventional approaches that result in high failure rates, the authors suggest businesses identify their total addressable value and prioritize opportunities that leverage AI for new market creation. Brian Evergreen and Pascal Bornet, authors and educators on agentic AI, advocate for a strategic progression in AI deployment, underlining the importance of aligning new technological capabilities with organizational growth. (Source)

A significant 94% of CEOs surveyed by AI platform provider Dataiku are confident that AI agents could offer advice on par with or superior to human board members for business decisions, and 89% believe AI can craft strategic plans better than their executive teams. However, AI experts are divided on these findings; some argue that CEOs might be overestimating AI's current capabilities, while others acknowledge recent advancements that enable AI to generate detailed business strategies using diverse datasets. (Source)

Agentic AI is transforming the business landscape by autonomously optimizing customer journeys and redefining success metrics, according to industry leaders like Verykios and Frew from iasset.com. Unlike widely recognized generative AI, agentic AI leverages extensive customer data, suggesting marketing strategies and identifying upselling opportunities, but also poses privacy and security challenges. Legal expert Ryan Solomons highlights the complex liability issues businesses face with AI-driven tools, particularly under privacy laws and NDAs, urging firms to thoroughly scrutinize their agreements. Additionally, as cyberattacks on AI systems become more prevalent, Frew emphasizes the growing necessity for robust cyber insurance and certifications, cautioning against underestimating vulnerabilities even for leading technology providers. (Source)

Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google with a deep background in artificial intelligence, has taken over as chief executive of Relativity Space, replacing co-founder Tim Ellis, who remains on the board. Schmidt, known for his business scaling acumen, aims to drive growth and enhance operational efficiency at Relativity’s Long Beach facility, notably by integrating AI into its manufacturing processes. This move mirrors the trend of Silicon Valley billionaires, like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, entering the aerospace sector with companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. Under his leadership, Schmidt brings significant financial investment and expertise, focusing on readying the Terran R, a medium-to-heavy lift rocket competing with Blue Origin’s New Glenn. As Relativity shifts from exclusively using 3D printing to incorporating traditional manufacturing methods, concerns arise about potential cost increases, despite the technology's promising role in rocket production. With approximately $3 billion in future launch contracts, Relativity is poised for significant expansion. (Source)