3 min readNew DelhiOct 29, 2026 02:09 AM ISTMicrosoft-owned GitHub has grown to over 225 million developers worldwide, with the United States leading at 38.3 million, followed by India at 32 million. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)GitHub on Wednesday released a new system that helps developers decide which AI models should handle specific software development tasks, claiming it can match the performance of frontier coding agents at roughly half the cost.The announcement, made at GitHub Universe, which drew hundreds of developers to San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center, comes as organisations look for ways to reduce AI token costs and save money.GitHub described Copilot Fusion at its developer-focused event as a system that routes requests to different AI models and coordinates their work on a task, rather than a model itself. The company said Fusion Max matched Claude Code powered by Opus 5.5 Max on the Artificial Analysis Coding Agent Index, scoring 60 compared with 58, while using about half the API cost and tokens and completing tasks 40 per cent faster.Also read | AI costs are rising: Microsoft’s Jay Parikh on keeping spending under controlIn a LinkedIn post, Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said Fusion delivers frontier-level quality 40 per cent faster and at up to 77 per cent lower cost. Developers only need to select an effort level: Standard, High or Max while Fusion handles model switching and workflows such as cascading and critique reviews. Enterprise administrators can also restrict which models Fusion is allowed to use.As organisations adopt generative AI tools, services and AI agents, soaring costs are driving demand for more tokens, a common way to measure and price AI usage. As these costs mount, business and IT executives are looking for ways to cut spending while maintaining productivity.The industry is exploring various ways to reduce AI costs, including switching to lower-cost models. However, this approach may not work for every organisation.During its developer conference, GitHub also unveiled the GitHub Copilot app, which connects agents and tools across projects. Starting Wednesday, GitHub Enterprise customers can access all Copilot features without purchasing a separate subscription, paying only for the AI credits they use.Story continues below this adThe launch of Copilot Fusion highlights GitHub’s growing importance within Microsoft. The Redmond-based tech giant acquired GitHub, often described as a “coder’s paradise”, in 2018. The platform is essential to software developers, who use it to store code, track changes and discuss issues. The platform now has more than 225 million developers. The United States has 38.3 million and India comes second with 32 million. GitHub also says developers pushed code 17.9 billion times this year, more than in 2024 and 2025 combined.Also read | ‘We see more developers building and pushing way more projects’: GitHub COO Kyle DaigleMicrosoft may dominate business software through Office, but it has yet to establish a flagship AI product that can compete in the enterprise AI market, where Anthropic’s Claude is gaining momentum.The writer is attending GitHub Universe in San Francisco at the company’s invitation. Microsoft covered the travel and accommodation expenses.Anuj Bhatia is an Assistant Editor at indianexpress.com with a career spanning over a decade. Active... Read More