Amazon Unveils CodeWhisperer AI to Challenge GitHub Copilot
Amazon launches CodeWhisperer, an AI pair programming tool that autocompletes code based on simple comments. The tool actively highlights open-source license information to help developers avoid copyright issues.
Amazon launches CodeWhisperer, an AI pair programming tool that autocompletes entire functions based on a simple comment or a few keystrokes. The system supports Java, JavaScript, and Python, and integrates directly into popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code and PyCharm through the AWS IDE Toolkit. Amazon trains this new tool on billions of lines of open source code, its own internal codebase, and public forum documentation.
The tool continuously analyzes a developer's code and comments to match their specific coding style and variable names for generating custom snippets. Unlike some competitors, CodeWhisperer flags any generated code that closely resembles existing snippets from its training data and prominently displays the original license. This feature gives developers the necessary information to decide whether to use the suggested code and helps alleviate potential copyright concerns.
Amazon emphasizes that CodeWhisperer represents years of background work building related tools like CodeGuru and DevOps Guru. Company leadership also highlights a strong focus on security, drawing on Amazon's extensive experience with managing large codebases. Developers can access the service in preview now, with additional support for the AWS Lambda Console arriving soon.