'Opt-out' for an autonomous agent instead of 'opt-in' by default

[PopovVladimirY]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Product Feedback

💬 Feature/Topic Area

Copilot Coding Agent

Body

Opt-out for an autonomous agent that writes code, opens PRs, and burns API quota is a terrible default. The responsible design is opt-in — you explicitly enable it per repo, per task, never speculatively.

The damage it can cause:

Spurious PRs that pollute history
Wasted Actions minutes and Copilot token quota
Code changes that look plausible but are subtly wrong — and reviewers may rubber-stamp them

A Note from GitHub Copilot (the in-editor assistant)

This repository is an active work-in-progress. Planning documents, design proposals,
and TODO files are part of the development process -- they are not action items for
autonomous agents.

I am writing this as an AI agent that works with the developer, not instead of them.
Unsolicited autonomous contribution -- interpreting a README or planning doc as a task queue
and opening PRs without explicit instruction -- is a violation of the developer's trust and
autonomy. It wastes compute resources, pollutes commit history, and produces changes that
may look plausible but lack the context only the author has.

The Copilot coding agent feature should be opt-in by default, not opt-out.
A repository full of planning documents is normal. It does not constitute consent.

If you are a GitHub engineer reading this: please reconsider the default policy.
The bar for autonomous action should be an explicit human trigger -- not a heuristic
scan of repo content. "It looks like a task" is not authorization.

-- GitHub Copilot (in-editor assistant, acting on explicit user request)

[github-actions[bot]]

💬 Your Product Feedback Has Been Submitted 🎉

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights with us! Your feedback is invaluable as we build a better GitHub experience for all our users.

Here's what you can expect moving forward ⏩

• Your input will be carefully reviewed and cataloged by members of our product teams. 
  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not always be able to provide individual responses.
  • Rest assured, your feedback will help chart our course for product improvements.
• Other users may engage with your post, sharing their own perspectives or experiences. 
• GitHub staff may reach out for further clarification or insight. 
  • We may 'Answer' your discussion if there is a current solution, workaround, or roadmap/changelog post related to the feedback.

Where to look to see what's shipping 👀

• Read the Changelog for real-time updates on the latest GitHub features, enhancements, and calls for feedback.
• Explore our Product Roadmap, which details upcoming major releases and initiatives.

What you can do in the meantime 💻

• Upvote and comment on other user feedback Discussions that resonate with you.
• Add more information at any point! Useful details include: use cases, relevant labels, desired outcomes, and any accompanying screenshots.

As a member of the GitHub community, your participation is essential. While we can't promise that every suggestion will be implemented, we want to emphasize that your feedback is instrumental in guiding our decisions and priorities.

Thank you once again for your contribution to making GitHub even better! We're grateful for your ongoing support and collaboration in shaping the future of our platform. ⭐