Microsoft has announced that Visual Studio Chat now supports third-party language models via API keys from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google—offering developers enhanced choice, customization, and control. This marks a significant shift, letting users seamlessly switch between built-in Copilot models and their own preferred AI models right inside the IDE.

Here’s what you need to know:

Why it matters
- Try the latest models as soon as they’re released
- Customize models to fit your security, infrastructure, or performance needs
- Manage usage, quotas, and billing directly with your provider
- Switch seamlessly between Copilot’s built-in models and your own
How to set it up
1. Open the Chat Window in Visual Studio.
2. From the model picker, select Manage models.
3. Pick your provider and enter your API key.
4. Choose from the preset options or add a custom model name.