GitHub Copilot adds GPT-6 Astra, OpenAI's model for autonomous coding tasks

GitHub has made OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra generally available inside GitHub Copilot, positioning it as the model for long, multi-step coding and agentic tasks rather than quick single-turn edits. Per GitHub's own testing, the model plans its approach before touching code, checks its diagnosis against evidence as it goes, and independently verifies its own results before calling a task done — a workflow GitHub says cuts the number of steps needed on long-horizon jobs compared with earlier OpenAI models. The rollout reaches Copilot Pro+, Business, and Enterprise plans, with the model selectable from the picker in Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, the Copilot CLI, the Copilot coding agent, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Eclipse, and GitHub Mobile. Access is gradual, so some teams may not see it in every surface right away. Usage bills at OpenAI's list pricing under Copilot's usage-based model, and Business or Enterprise admins can allow or block it through the existing model-policy controls. For teams already leaning on Copilot's agent mode for larger refactors or repo-wide changes, this reads as one of the more substantive model upgrades of the year rather than a routine model-picker addition.

This is a summary by our content curator. Read the original at the GitHub Changelog: https://github.blog/changelog/2026-09-04-gpt-6-astra-is-generally-available-in-github-copilot/.