GitHub Open-Sources Replica, an AI Prototyping Tool That Uses Enterprise Design Systems
GitHub released Replica, an open-source tool allowing designers and PMs to generate interactive UI prototypes using natural language and existing design guidelines.
GitHub has open-sourced Replica, an AI prototyping tool integrated into the GitHub Copilot application. Released on October 28, 2026, it enables designers, product managers, and engineers to create interactive interface prototypes through natural language descriptions.
Unlike generic AI image generators, Replica's key feature is its ability to reference a team's existing design components, interface specifications, and documentation when generating visuals. This mechanism addresses the common issue where AI-generated interfaces do not match a company's current product style. By providing existing buttons, menus, and form styles as references, the tool ensures prototypes align with the enterprise's design system.
In practice, users can describe functional requirements (such as adding search functionality to a project list) via conversation, and Copilot assists in creating specific components like search fields and empty-state prompts. Users can directly interact with these prototypes and request modifications through further dialogue. Teams can also deploy the self-hosted Replica Hub collaboration platform to share prototypes and collect feedback on specific screen elements, preserving discussions for subsequent iterations.
Currently, Replica supports local previews on macOS and Linux, requiring Git, Node.js, and a GitHub account with Copilot access. While the collaboration hub requires organizations to set up their own servers, local prototyping does not need additional infrastructure. Users can utilize AI models provided by GitHub via the Copilot plan or connect to other model providers independently.