Apple Developing AI Tool to Help Developers Write Code for Apps

Apple is working on an updated version of Xcode that will include an AI tool for generating code, reports Bloomberg. The AI tool will be similar to GitHub Copilot from Microsoft, which can generate code based on natural language requests and convert code from one programming language to another.

apple developer app feature
The Xcode AI tool will be able to predict and finish blocks of code, allowing developers to streamline their app creation process. Apple is now testing the functionality internally and plans to release it to third-party software developers "as early as this year."

Apple is also testing AI-generated code for testing apps, and has asked some engineers to try these features out internally.

The artificial intelligence capabilities added to Xcode will join several other AI features that Apple plans to add to Siri and other built-in apps. Some new features could include the option to generate playlists in Apple Music and create slideshows in Keynote, with Apple also working on improved Spotlight search capabilities. Search could encompass specific features in apps and might also provide responses to complex questions, with the feature built using large language models.

According to Bloomberg, Apple software chief Craig Federighi has asked employees to create as many new AI features as possible for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15. Apple plans to introduce "a slew of new AI features," and ‌iOS 18‌ will be marketed as one of the biggest updates to the iPhone since it launched. Some of the AI features will come to macOS, but Apple plans to "take a gradual approach to AI development" with some features not coming "for years."

Popular Stories

apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

icanhazmac Avatar
16 months ago
How long until devs go on strike to keep AI from helping n00bz write code?

n00b: AI, write me code for an iOS freemium game, make it just barely fun unless they pay
AI: Ok, here it is
n00b: Profit



Attachment Image
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
turbineseaplane Avatar
16 months ago
We are racing to the bottom as fast as we can
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toobravetosave Avatar
16 months ago

It will all depend on how they’ll implement it. If it’s decent from the start, count me in. I just hope that the features they’ll end up rolling won’t be half-baked or proofs of concepts. They took their time, now they need to show that it was worth it.
they didn’t take their time they were simply late
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
16 months ago

Craig Federighi has asked employees to create as many new AI features as possible for iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15. Apple plans to introduce "a slew of new AI features"
I’m certain this will turn out great. This is a sure way to make the OS more coherent and reduce the number of bugs.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coffeemilktea Avatar
16 months ago
I wonder how useful this will actually be... from personal experience, I've found AI is good at generating small snippets of code for specific tasks, but I wouldn't rely on it for anything larger or more complex, at least not without a lot of human guidance. ?

But then, asking an AI to do small things sure beats having to look up how to call specific functions and classes on the Apple Developer documentation website. Can't remember how to use NSFileManager with iCloud? The AI will do it for you. :cool:
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
16 months ago

So if Apple AI writes portions of the code, then those portions are in theory Apple's IP and not that of the developer, correct?
No. AI output is not copyrightable, only human works are.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)