One area where generative AI can help with work is in software development. Developers manage thousands of lines of code and AI can increase their productivity. According to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is considering using AI to help software developers.
Gurman reports that the next major release of Xcode, Apple’s integrated development environment for writing software, will have AI-based features. AI can be used to write blocks of code, saving time. Apple also plans to use AI to test software. Gurman said Apple engineers are “dogfooding,” meaning they are using Xcode with these AI features in their own software projects.
These software projects include the next major releases of its operating systems. Gurman reports that Apple Vice President Craig Federighi “has directed his teams to develop as many new AI features as possible for this year’s operating system updates.” iOS 18, codenamed Crystal, will be one of the “most important updates in the iPhone’s 16-year history.” AI is also coming to macOS 15, codenamed Glow.
It’s unclear what AI-based features are in the operating systems, but Gurman reports that Spotlight could benefit from an AI overhaul. Other features include automated AI-driven creation, such as playlists in Apple Music and slideshows in Keynote. A report earlier this week revealed that Apple purchased the iwork.ai web domain and two weeks ago Apple released an open source AI model called MLLM-Guided Image Editing that can be used to edit images based on a user’s written commands.
During Apple’s first quarter financial report, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed Apple’s push into AI, saying details would be revealed “later this year.” This reveal could take place during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. Another report says an iPhone with AI features won’t be available until 2025, so WWDC could be filled with feature demos that won’t be available until later than the typical fall release . But Gurman’s article indicates a sense of urgency within Apple, so perhaps AI will arrive sooner rather than later.
