GitLab 18.6: From configuration to control

What this post added

This post introduces several enhancements to GitLab's AI capabilities, primarily within the GitLab Duo Agent Platform. Key updates include making the GitLab Duo Planner and Security Analyst agents available by default and at the group level, supporting milestone and iteration workflows for the Planner, and providing automated vulnerability review and remediation suggestions for the Security Analyst. It also adds support for the gpt-oss-120b open-source model for self-managed customers, allowing for auditable and transparent AI deployments. Cloud-connected self-managed instances now feature end-user model selection in the UI. The Web IDE gains support for air-gapped environments by allowing configuration of extension host domains. The modern interface becomes the default for self-managed instances. Security features are enhanced with custom business context labels for projects and groups to enable risk-based filtering of vulnerabilities.