Review effort and approval are different choices
GitHub’s October 28 update puts Max code-review effort in public preview and makes Copilot approvals generally available. Max performs more work, takes longer, and uses more AI credits than lower effort levels. Approvals are off by default. [1]
Repository settings separately allow an approving review and allow that approval to count toward merge requirements. File-path rules can limit where it counts. An approval is dismissed when new commits arrive. [2][3]
Normal access uses paid Copilot plans; Business and Enterprise can explicitly enable unlicensed members under paid-usage policies. Review costs can include both AI credits and Actions minutes. [3]
Our take
For experienced technicians, decide where an AI sign-off may satisfy a review requirement before enabling it. Keep independent checks and inspect the change against the intended behavior. Approval is a workflow decision, not proof of correctness. We reviewed sources without testing a repository.