Grok Joins GitHub Copilot: The New AI Model Enters Public Preview

GitHub has announced the launch of the public preview of the Grok Code Fast 1 model in Visual Studio Code. Access is being granted to users subscribed to the Copilot Pro, Pro+, Business, and Enterprise tiers.

The rollout will be gradual, meaning the new model may appear for different users at different times. Additionally, xAI models can be integrated into individual GitHub Copilot plans through the Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) mechanism, which requires entering a personal xAI API key.

For enterprise subscriptions, administrators must enable Grok Code Fast 1 within Copilot settings, after which the model will automatically appear in the Visual Studio Code model list for all organization members.

In individual paid plans, activation must be done manually: the user selects the model in the editor interface and confirms a one-time request.

When using BYOK, the setup is carried out via the Manage Models section: select xAI, enter the API key, and specify the Grok Code Fast 1 model.

GitHub clarified that free access to Grok Code Fast 1 (excluding BYOK connections) will be available until September 2, 2025, after which standard billing will apply.