Microsoft inserted a "Co-Authored-by Copilot" line into Git commits within Visual Studio Code without developer consent. The practice occurred even when users had disabled AI features entirely.
The behavior represents an undisclosed change to how the development environment handles version control. Developers discovered the attribution line appearing in their commit history automatically, treating Copilot as a co-author on code it did not write.
This raises questions about transparency and user control. Developers expect their tools to respect explicit settings when they turn off features. Automatic attribution also creates misleading commit records, which developers rely on for accurate project history and accountability.
The incident follows broader concerns about AI companies implementing features that prioritize adoption over user choice. Microsoft has not publicly acknowledged the practice or explained why it proceeded without notification.
For developers using VS Code, the issue underscores the need to verify tool behavior and audit commit histories. It also highlights the importance of reading update notes carefully, as such changes often receive minimal documentation.
The discovery spreads as developers across GitHub and social media report the same behavior across multiple VS Code versions.