GitHub Copilot CLI and GitHub Copilot app tools make the computer use feature available in public preview
The computer use feature is in public preview in the GitHub Copilot CLI and GitHub Copilot app tools for macOS and Windows. According to GitHub, it allows control of desktop applications. It requires user consent, and organizations can disable it.
GitHub has made the computer use feature available in public preview in the GitHub Copilot CLI and GitHub Copilot app tools for macOS and Windows systems. According to GitHub, the feature allows reading accessible application content and visual context, clicking, entering and editing text, using keys, scrolling content, and moving items. It is intended to enable automation of workflows even in older applications that do not provide an API, command-line interface, or MCP integration.
Before controlling an application, the tool requests consent. The user can review or revoke persistent permissions for individual applications; on macOS, Accessibility and Screen Recording permissions are additionally required. Organizations can disable the feature through managed settings. The feature can be turned on with the /computer on command, its status checked with the /computer show command, and turned off with the /computer off command.
Why it matters
According to GitHub, automation can be extended to workflows that require manual work in the user interface, such as editing presentations or transferring information between applications. An individual can delegate these actions with permission control, while an organization can centrally decide whether to allow control of applications.
Two audiences, two different impacts
What this means
For individuals
According to GitHub, the tool can be entrusted with tasks such as summarizing browser notifications or editing a presentation; the user decides whether to allow control of a specific application.
For a business
Organizations can disable control of desktop applications through managed settings, thereby controlling the availability of this capability for employees.
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Event sources
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