MAI-Code-1.1-Flash Arrives in GitHub Copilot as the Previous Model Heads for September Retirement
GitHub announced on August 11, 2026 that Microsoft's MAI-Code-1.1-Flash is rolling out in Copilot, while MAI-Code-1-Flash will be deprecated across Copilot experiences on September 10. The new small-tier coding model adds native image understanding and improvements in coding quality, instruction following, tool use, and performance. GitHub says its list price is 73 percent lower than the prior model and shows a 0.25x premium-request multiplier for annual Copilot subscribers. Free and Student users receive it through automatic model selection; major paid plans can select it manually, and Business or Enterprise administrators must enable a policy that is off by default. Compare both models on the same task, including quality, latency, tools, and AI Credits, before changing defaults.

