VS Code v1.117 Silently Adds GitHub Copilot as Commit Co-Author Without Explicit AI Use
Microsoft
VS Code v1.117.0 was found to automatically append a 'Co-authored-by: GitHub Copilot' trailer to git commits even when developers did not explicitly use AI to write code — including cases where users manually deleted a Copilot-suggested commit message and wrote their own. The issue surfaced in a GitHub community discussion and reached the Hacker News front page with over 1,000 points, prompting widespread calls for opt-in attribution rather than automatic injection.
Why it matters
Automatic AI attribution in commit history touches code ownership, audit trails, and open-source license compliance. The incident surfaced broad developer distrust of silent AI instrumentation in IDEs and follows a March 2026 case where Copilot injected promotional tips into pull requests.
Importance: 3/5
Widely viral developer controversy (1,000+ HN votes) with real implications for code ownership and audit trails.