Microsoft adds Agent Host Protocol to Visual Studio Code, decoupling AI agents from the editor

Microsoft released Visual Studio Code updates 1.129 and 1.130 that introduce an Agent Host Protocol. The new architecture moves AI coding agents such as GitHub Copilot, Claude and Codex out of the editor process into dedicated host threads, allowing a single agent session to be shared across multiple VS Code windows and even across different machines. The protocol uses JSON‑RPC and immutable state, enabling remote execution, work‑tree isolation and persistent sessions that survive window closures.

Developers can activate the feature by enabling the "chat.agentHost.enabled" setting. The updates also bundle TypeScript 7 in the editor and align the Copilot harness with the Copilot SDK used by the standalone app and CLI, providing a consistent experience across Microsoft’s AI‑assisted development tools.