GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke on Copilot, vibe coding, and AI’s next chapter

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke is at the center of a pivotal moment in software development, where artificial intelligence is reshaping how code is written, reviewed, and imagined. In a wide-ranging conversation with Alex Heath on Decoder, Dohmke reflects on the evolution of GitHub Copilot—the tool that helped ignite the current AI coding boom—and how the landscape has shifted dramatically in just a year. When Copilot launched, it was a breakthrough: an AI assistant that could suggest entire lines or blocks of code in real time, learning from vast repositories of open-source software. But since Dohmke last appeared on Decoder, a new wave of tools like Cursor and Windsurf has introduced “vibe coding”—a more conversational, generative approach where developers describe what they want in natural language, and AI builds it from scratch. This shift has sparked both excitement and debate about the future of programming. Dohmke acknowledges the growing competition but remains confident in GitHub’s position. He sees Copilot not as a relic, but as a foundational piece of a broader AI-powered development ecosystem. “We’re not just building a code autocomplete tool,” he says. “We’re building a new kind of software development environment where AI is deeply integrated into every stage of the workflow.” He also discusses the rising trend of AI writing code at scale—Microsoft recently reported that up to 30% of some internal code is now generated by AI. That shift, he argues, isn’t about replacing engineers, but about augmenting them. “The role of the software engineer is changing,” Dohmke explains. “It’s no longer just about writing code. It’s about asking the right questions, guiding the AI, and ensuring quality and security.” Still, he admits that vibe coding feels “a little too magical” for him to fully embrace yet. “I can see the power of it,” he says, “but I still want to be in control of the logic and structure. I’m not quite ready to hand over the entire design process to an AI.” Running GitHub as a standalone company within Microsoft adds another layer of complexity. Dohmke describes it as a unique balance—maintaining autonomy and agility while benefiting from Microsoft’s scale, infrastructure, and resources. “We have the freedom to innovate quickly, but we also have the stability and support to take long-term bets,” he says. Looking ahead, Dohmke is focused on making AI more collaborative, transparent, and trustworthy. GitHub is rolling out new tools, including an AI app-making preview, and enhancing Copilot with smarter modes that understand context and intent better than ever. Ultimately, he believes competition is essential. “AI thrives when there are multiple players pushing boundaries,” he says. “The more options we have, the faster we’ll move toward a future where developers can build more, faster, and with more creativity.” As the industry races toward the next frontier—possibly GPT-5 and beyond—Dohmke sees GitHub not just as a participant, but as a steward of the tools that will define how humans and machines work together to build the future of software.