Intro to Agent Mode in Visual Studio - Your True AI Copilot

Setting the Stage: Agent Mode in Visual Studio

At the beginning of the tutorial, Tim introduces Agent Mode as a powerful branch of AI focused on integrating with your development environment. As Tim explains, this upgrade in Visual Studio 2022 (version 17.4) allows GitHub Copilot to craft intelligent responses using natural language, implement code changes, and test them—all within your IDE.

This functionality essentially involves smart software interpreting developer intent, harnessing algorithms to execute tasks like applying style changes or debugging logic. It’s a real-world application of artificial intelligence—which stands for artificial intelligence, by the way—that shows how intelligence is a tool for efficiency and automation.

Getting Started with Copilot Chat

Tim demonstrates that even with the basic Copilot Chat interface, users can respond to user prompts by asking it to summarize code, write unit tests, or find issues in the active document. The features, functionality, and availability may vary between free and paid versions, and Tim personally uses GitHub Copilot Pro Plus for deeper functionality.

You might hear about AI using models like GPT-4.1, which Tim highlights as being trained to provide more relevant answers by analyzing open-source codebases. This is where natural language processing meets machine learning, allowing Copilot to generate and debug code based purely on plain-English instructions.

Enabling Agent Mode and Understanding the Interface

Tim walks viewers through enabling Agent Mode via:

Tools → Options → GitHub → Copilot → Enable Agent Mode in the Chat Pane

Once enabled, this tool transforms the development experience. Rather than merely suggesting code, Copilot your AI companion actively applies changes and manages builds. It's no longer limited to being reactive—it becomes an assistant that can generate an outline, draft proofread existing work, and even validate the results against tests.

First Use Case: Removing a Navigation Bar

To show Copilot’s hands-on capabilities, Tim instructs the AI to remove a navigation bar by typing:

“I don’t like the top bar on my site where it says About. Can you remove the entire bar?”

The AI identifies the correct file (MainLayout.razor) and performs a clean deletion. It also builds the project afterward to validate success. These routine tasks, normally done manually, are now completed through Copilot’s intelligent responses using natural language processing.

Tim’s advice here is critical: always review AI changes. This ties into real-world examples of AI sometimes injecting flawed logic into seemingly correct implementations. AI can generate code and analyze files, but it’s not a substitute for human judgment—especially when the risk of errors or security vulnerabilities looms large.

Applying a Custom Theme: AI-Driven CSS Styling

In a demonstration that borders on creating photo realistic images through styling, Tim showcases Copilot updating a Blazor site’s theme. He copies four hex codes from colorhunt.co and simply pastes them into Copilot with the instruction:

“I want to change the color theme to use these colors.”

Despite not providing labels like "primary" or "accent," Copilot assigns appropriate roles to each color. It updates styles across multiple files—including app.css, MainLayout.razor.css, and NavMenu.razor.css—showing its capacity to handle a complex coding task or machine learning-driven inference.

This visual refresh is akin to making a watercolor painting or showcasing a woman watching the sunset—abstract, artistic, and harmoniously applied. The result? A uniquely styled site with no trace of the original Blazor purple.

Real-World Application: The "How to Learn C#" Site

Tim reveals that the site howtolearnc.com was almost entirely generated using Copilot in Agent Mode. With just content, links, and prompts, tasks, and feedback, the AI delivered an operational site. This project proves AI’s relevance not only in analysis, text generation, and image creation but also in production-ready applications that could engage potential customers and drive more leads.

Deep Awareness of Project Architecture

One of the most impressive aspects of Agent Mode is its awareness of project internals. Tim illustrates how Copilot understands that MainLayout.razor.css takes precedence over app.css, highlighting how deeply AI models can parse application structures.

This is critical when developing mobile apps or working with larger solutions, where the AI must distinguish between global and component-scoped styles.

Automating NuGet Package Installation

Taking things further, Tim shows how Copilot can invoke PowerShell to install NuGet packages. By asking:

“Please add the Dapper NuGet package to my main project,”

Tim allows Copilot to craft a shell command: dotnet add package Dapper. After confirming, the change is applied—though Tim stresses the importance of source control because command-line executions can’t be rolled back from the chat interface.

In situations involving itinerary finding, hotels identifying tourist attractions, or mapping exact distance from location, such integrations of tools and automation serve as parallels—where the AI does the heavy lifting behind the scenes.

Reinforcing Best Practices

A major highlight of Tim’s philosophy is: don’t just rely on AI. Learn the fundamentals. Just because you can respond to human language and generate code through an AI assistant doesn't mean you can skip understanding the "why" and "how."

Without foundational knowledge, you risk having a system filled with vulnerabilities—or even worse, becoming someone who can’t debug or extend their own application.

Conclusion: The Future of AI-Driven Development

Tim's video on GitHub Copilot’s Agent Mode is a clear demonstration of how AI can perform functions ranging from code generation to UI updates, from dependency management to first draft proofread existing code logic. Whether you’re crafting a new site, upgrading your architecture, or learning a new skill or hobby, Copilot your AI companion is designed to accelerate your progress.

From functions like speech recognition to helping you convert JavaScript code to TypeScript, the power is in your hands—guided by the tool’s ability to craft intelligent responses using natural language processing.