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Microsoft agentically ports Copilot runtime to Rust for $120K

48 points · 62 comments · pjmlp

  1. iamgopal · · focus · HN ↗
    why golang lost to rust ?
    1. asp_hornet · · focus · HN ↗
      > The software engine underpinning GitHub Copilot and a growing number of Microsoft products

      I’m guessing so it can interop easier with C/C++ codebases? Just a stab in the dark, I have no idea.

    2. Havoc · · focus · HN ↗
      Either would have worked, but rust's fussy compiler & memory features is an advantage for LLMs. The more bug catching you can shift out of runtime and into compile time the better since the LLM can fix it
      1. hollowturtle · · focus · HN ↗
        go is even more straightforward for llms imo. It's a dead simple language with a good garbage collector, where you can still do a lot memory management
        1. Havoc · · focus · HN ↗
          Simplicity is a feature too.

          > you can still do a lot memory management

          That’s kinda my point - you don’t really want to trust the LLM to get any sort of memory management right. A system where hard constraints are baked into the language itself and the LLM fights the compiler at compile time removes a lot of hoping the LLM got it right.

          Ultimately either works though so use whatever you enjoy

    3. OutOfHere · · focus · HN ↗
      I wouldn't say it has lost. Big firms like Microsoft and Amazon are just afraid to use Go since it's by Google, a known evil firm. This doesn't hold back smaller firms that need to move fast.
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