AI-Assisted Coding

Getting a GitHub Copilot licence and using it inside Positron

What we recommend

One licence, one interface: a GitHub Copilot licence obtained through the World Bank, used through Posit Assistant — the AI chat built into Positron. Same editor you already run Stata and R in; nothing extra to install.

Four steps: GitHub account → join the worldbank org → get a Copilot licence → turn the assistant on in Positron.

Positron must be installed first — see Recommended software.

Get a GitHub account

• Sign up at https://github.com/signup using a personal email address, not your World Bank one.

• Skip this if you already have an account — you only ever need one.

Join the World Bank GitHub organisation

• Submit a “Join GitHub Organization” request through eServices.

• Accept the invitation email. Invitations expire after 7 days — if yours lapses, request again.

• Confirm membership via the link in the email.

The organisation removes inactive members automatically. Stay active or you will have to rejoin.

The org and MML team assignment are covered in Version control.

Get a Copilot licence

Route	How	What you get
World Bank (preferred)	Email github@worldbank.org with your GitHub username and your manager’s approval	WB plan, billed through the Bank
Private	Buy Copilot Pro or Pro+ at https://github.com/settings/copilot	Immediate access, billed to you. Non-reimbursable.

WarningDon’t pay twice

When your World Bank Copilot access comes through, any private subscription is cancelled automatically and refunded. Buying Pro while you wait on the WB route is safe — but don’t buy it and then forget you asked.

• Verify at GitHub Settings → Copilot that your access is active.

Turn the assistant on in Positron

• Ctrl+, → search positron.assistant.enable → tick it.

• Ctrl+Shift+P → Developer: Reload Window.

• Ctrl+Shift+P → Positron Assistant: Configure Language Model Providers → choose GitHub Copilot → Sign in → finish the GitHub OAuth flow in your browser.

• Open the chat: the chat icon in the sidebar, or Ctrl+Shift+P → Chat: Open Chat.

You can also sign in from the Accounts icon at the bottom of the Activity Bar.

Needs Positron 2026.04 or later. From Positron 2026.07 it ships as Posit Assistant and is on by default, so the enable step may already be done for you.

What you get

• Chat that already knows your loaded data frames, plots, and console history.
• Slash commands such as /plan.
• Project conventions stored in an AGENTS.md file.
• Plan mode for multi-step edits.
• @ mentions and drag-and-drop to attach files.

Details: https://positron.posit.co/assistant.html

Check it works

• GitHub Settings → Copilot shows an active subscription.

• Positron’s provider list shows GitHub Copilot as signed in.

• The chat answers a question.

• The model picker offers Claude and GPT models — if it only offers basic ones, your Copilot subscription is not active.

When it doesn’t work

Symptom	Fix
No Claude or GPT models in the picker	No active Copilot subscription. Re-check GitHub Settings → Copilot.
Chat replies stop mid-month	Premium request quota exhausted. Wait for the monthly reset or raise the spending limit.
Assistant not visible at all	positron.assistant.enable unticked, or the window was not reloaded.
Signed in but no provider	Re-run Positron Assistant: Configure Language Model Providers and pick GitHub Copilot.

Contacts:

• Positron or install problems — ITHelp@worldbankgroup.org
• Copilot subscription and access — github@worldbankgroup.org

Ground rules

• No confidential microdata in a prompt.
• The assistant drafts; you verify. Check every generated Stata result against actual output before it reaches a table or a chart.
• If an AI suggestion changes a method, record it in the project README.md like any other methodological choice.