GitHub Copilot is the world’s most widely adopted AI developer tool, designed to increase productivity and boost developer happiness. From real time code suggestions and chat assistance in the IDE to breaking down complex coding concepts in natural language, GitHub Copilot empowers developers with AI across the software development lifecycle.
This white paper explores the impact of GitHub Copilot on developers within the ASEAN region, focusing on its effects on productivity and developer satisfaction.
GitHub Copilot Hackathons took place throughout ASEAN in both virtual and physical formats from December 2023 to May 2024. Information was gathered from participants to understand their perspectives on GitHub Copilot. More than 1000 developers and IT professionals across over 400 different companies registered to participate in the GitHub Copilot Hackathons. Information was gathered from participants to understand their perspectives on GitHub Copilot.
The participants reported positive experiences with the AI-powered code suggestion system, which helped them write code faster, learn new skills, and explore new possibilities. The hackathon also demonstrated how GitHub Copilot can support multilingual chat and comments in English, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, various programming languages, domains, and tasks, ranging from web development to security analysis to test cases design.
Assessing the benefits in developer productivity and return on investment (ROI) from implementing GitHub Copilot can be complex due to various economic elements, foreign exchange rates, developer wages, and productivity improvements. From feedback collected after 2-hour sessions with GitHub Copilot, developers across surveyed countries estimate a weekly saving of about 4.1 hours, demonstrating a positive ROI even in emerging economies.

Speak to your Microsoft or GitHub account representative for further enquries, or start a free trial for individuals.