Why GitHub Copilot Defaults to 'any' in React TypeScript Projects

There is a pattern that shows up constantly in React TypeScript projects where GitHub Copilot was involved. It looks like this: const [data, setData] = useState<any>(null) const handleResponse = (response: any) => { setData(response.data) } TypeScript is installed. The project is set up correctly. And Copilot still reaches for any — every single time. Why this happens Copilot is not trying to write bad TypeScript. It is taking the path of least resistance. any works. It compiles. It does not throw errors. And without explicit constraints telling Copilot what the actual types are, it defaults to the safest assumption it can make — which is no assumption at all. The result is TypeScript that looks correct but provides zero protection. You have all the overhead of a typed language with none of the benefits. What any actually costs you TypeScript exists to catch errors before they reach production. The moment you use any, that protection disappears for that value — and everything that touc