GitLab 17.5 boosts productivity with AI chat, LLM hosting, and enhanced security features

GitLab has released version 17.5, introducing several new features aimed at enhancing developer productivity and security. The update includes Duo Quick Chat, an AI-powered chat tool designed to integrate seamlessly within the coding environment. Developers can now host and configure their own large language models (LLMs) for code suggestions, currently in beta for Ultimate and Duo Enterprise subscribers on self-managed environments.

Developers can now export raw code suggestion events via the GraphQL API. The GitLab Duo Chat has been upgraded to recognize merge requests, enabling users to discuss and explore these requests more efficiently. Additionally, users can modify specific branch rules directly within the consolidated view, a feature first introduced in GitLab 15.10.

The release also brings enhancements to GitLab's Switchboard, with a new Tenant Overview providing quick access to essential information for GitLab Dedicated instances. Secret Push Protection is now available to all GitLab Ultimate customers, and a Credentials Inventory feature is accessible for top-level group owners on GitLab.com. Users can also filter dependency components to quickly determine their usage within a group or project.

GitLab 17.5 also includes various other improvements, performance enhancements, and bug fixes, further refining the platform's functionality.