Microsoft fixes VS Code after app gives Copilot credit for human's work (www.theregister.com)

Microsoft has reversed a controversial change in Visual Studio Code (VS Code) that automatically attributed software commits to its AI assistant, Copilot, even when developers did not use it. Initially implemented in VS Code 1.110, the "Co-authored-by: Copilot" notice was intended to promote transparency around AI-generated code contributions. However, many developers raised concerns that the attribution appeared even when Copilot features were disabled, undermining their professional workflows and ownership of their work. After community backlash, Microsoft announced a fix for the next release, changing the default setting to opt-in for AI attribution. This move is significant for the AI/ML community as it highlights the ongoing debate about AI-generated content's authorship and copyright implications. The attribution of AI contributions to code raises essential questions regarding intellectual property rights, particularly when determining the human involvement in AI-assisted development. As other AI tools like Anthropic's Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex have similar attribution practices, the inconsistency in defaults—whether opt-in or opt-out—adds complexity to how developers manage AI involvement in their work. By allowing users to choose whether or not to credit AI contributions, Microsoft acknowledges the diverse opinions within the developer community about the role of AI in software development and its potential legal ramifications.