The Autonomous Pull Request: Let Agents Ship Without Surrendering Control

The next productivity leap is not faster code completion; it is a pull request that can move from task to merge without constant human babysitting. This session presents a controlled autonomous workflow using GitHub Copilot app Agent Merge and a real application repository. We will demo an agent implementing a change, following repository-specific operating rules, responding to Copilot review, and waiting while GitHub independently evaluates the result. Secret push protection, code and dependency scanning, CodeQL, quality analysis, strict branch freshness, native C++ tests, and the .NET suite form a set of non-negotiable gates. Only after that evidence is green can Agent Merge complete the workflow. We will close with a clear division of responsibility: agents handle implementation and routine remediation, automated policy establishes baseline confidence, and humans focus their limited review time on intent, UX, architecture, and exceptional risk.