Microsoft Prepares Major AI Enhancements for Visual Studio 18
Microsoft outlines plans for Visual Studio 18, focusing on enhanced AI features in response to competition.
Key Points
- • Microsoft is planning a major upgrade to Visual Studio 18 with enhanced AI features.
- • The update aims to compete against rivals like Cursor and Amazon's Kiro IDE.
- • Development includes ongoing updates to the current version, Visual Studio 17.
- • GitHub Copilot has lost market share, prompting the need for these innovations.
Microsoft is set to unveil significant upgrades to its flagship software-development product, Visual Studio 18, as revealed in an internal memo. Jay Parikh, head of Microsoft's CoreAI organization, outlined the plans which aim to reinvigorate Microsoft's coding service amid growing competition from AI-powered rivals such as Cursor and Amazon's Kiro IDE.
The last major update was in 2021, and development teams are currently engaged in 'early dogfooding' to refine the new version before its expected release. Although specific launch dates remain unspecified, indications suggest further details will emerge later this summer.
The new Visual Studio version is designed to incorporate advanced AI functionalities that respond to recent challenges, particularly as Microsoft’s AI coding assistant GitHub Copilot has lost market share to emerging alternatives. In addition, Microsoft continues enhancing Visual Studio 17 by rolling out regular updates that include support for Anthropic's AI models and improvements to the Model Context Protocol (MCP), indicating a robust commitment to maintaining relevance in the competitive landscape. These proactive measures are essential for Microsoft as it seeks to position Visual Studio as a leader in AI-assisted software development solutions.