GitHub Copilot: Gemini 3 Pro and GPT-5.1 Models Scheduled for Deprecation
GitHub CopilotGitHub has announced the upcoming deprecation of two AI models from GitHub Copilot: Gemini 3 Pro (effective March 26, 2026) and GPT-5.1 and its variants (effective April 1, 2026). The Gemini 3 Pro timeline is accelerated due to a provider-side deprecation by Google Cloud's Vertex AI service. Developers and enterprise administrators should update their workflows to use supported replacement models — Gemini 3.1 Pro and GPT-5.3-Codex respectively — before the deadlines.
Sources & Mentions
4 external resources covering this update
GitHub is scrapping some Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini models in Copilot – here's what you need to know
Link
Selected Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini Copilot models are now deprecated — community discussion
Link
Has GPT-5.X been removed from Copilot?
Link
Gemini 3.1 Pro in GitHub Copilot – Hacker News discussion
Link
Upcoming Model Deprecations in GitHub Copilot
GitHub has announced that two AI models available in GitHub Copilot will be deprecated in the coming weeks. Both Gemini 3 Pro and GPT-5.1 (including its variants) are being retired across all Copilot experiences, including Copilot Chat, inline edits, ask mode, agent mode, and code completions.
Deprecation Timeline
The deprecation schedule is as follows:
- Gemini 3 Pro — deprecated on March 26, 2026. This date is earlier than typical GitHub model lifecycle timelines because Google Cloud's Vertex AI service, which provides the underlying model, has initiated a provider-side deprecation. GitHub is accelerating its own removal to align with the upstream timeline.
- GPT-5.1 and its variants — deprecated on April 1, 2026. Developers relying on GPT-5.1 for code completions, chat, or inline edits should plan to migrate before this date.
Recommended Replacement Models
GitHub recommends migrating to the following successors:
- Gemini 3 Pro → migrate to Gemini 3.1 Pro, which is currently in public preview across Copilot experiences.
- GPT-5.1 → migrate to GPT-5.3-Codex, which reached general availability in late February 2026 and is available across github.com, GitHub Mobile, and Visual Studio.
What Enterprise Administrators Need to Do
Copilot Enterprise administrators may need to take an additional step: enabling the replacement models through their organization's model policies in Copilot settings. If the successor models are not already enabled, users on deprecated models will have an alternative automatically selected for them after the deprecation date — but enabling the preferred replacement proactively ensures a smoother transition.
Once a model is deprecated, no manual removal action is required. After the cutoff date, any requests directed at the deprecated model will fail, and the system will automatically fall back to an available model if the deprecated one was set as the default.
Enterprise customers with concerns or special migration requirements are encouraged to contact their GitHub account managers for guidance.