So GitHub dropped something new: Copilot can now actually approve pull requests. Not just review them with comments, but genuinely sign off on code and count toward your repository's approval requirements.
At first glance, you might think "wait, should we really let an AI approve PRs?" - and that's a fair instinct. But after digging into how it actually works, I think there's real potential here.
Copilot isn't just reviewing your code anymore. Every review now includes an approval assessment - basically Copilot saying "yep, this looks good to merge" or flagging concerns. What's smart is that this isn't automatic. It's opt-in and disabled by default, which means your team has full control.
You can turn it on at three different levels:
There's also this detail I appreciated: if someone pushes new commits after Copilot approves, the approval gets dismissed automatically (just like a human reviewer's would). You can request a fresh review from Copilot to get a new assessment.
This could actually speed things up in a few scenarios:
But here's the thing - it's not a replacement for human judgment. It's more like having a really good second set of eyes that you can choose to trust.
The fact that admins have this much control is the real win here. You're not forced to use it. You can be strict about which file paths Copilot can approve (maybe just config files, maybe just tests?), or enable it for specific repositories where it makes sense.
It's early (public preview for now), so teams will figure out what actually works for their workflow. Some might love it, others might keep it disabled. And that's exactly how it should be.
If you're on a Copilot Pro, Pro+, Max, Business or Enterprise plan, worth experimenting with. Keep an eye on your approval patterns and see if it actually saves time or just adds noise.