GitHub to Train AI With User Data by Default

If you have a code repository or other work stored in GitHub, you need to be aware of a major change at the service: It’s will soon start using any data you store in GitHub to train AI models by default, so you have to opt-out now if that’s not what you want.

“Today, we’re announcing an update on how GitHub will use data to deliver more intelligent, context-aware coding assistance,” GitHub’s Mario Rodriguez writes in the announcement post. “From April 24 onward, interaction data—specifically inputs, outputs, code snippets, and associated context—from Copilot Free, Pro, and Pro+ users will be used to train and improve our AI models unless they opt out. Copilot Business and Copilot Enterprise users are not affected by this update.”

GitHub says that this change “aligns with established industry practices” and that the goal is to improve AI model performance for all users.

“By participating, you’ll help our models better understand development workflows, deliver more accurate and secure code pattern suggestions, and improve their ability to help you catch potential bugs before they reach production,” Rodriguez says.

If you prize being altruistic over your privacy, you have nothing to do: GitHub will start using your data automatically.

If you don’t want GitHub to use your data to train AI, navigate to the site, then settings > Copilot > Features, and set the option “Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training” (under Privacy) to “Disabled.”