Apple partners with Anthropic to develop AI coding assistant for Xcode: report

Move marks Apple’s latest foray into generative AI as attempt to catch up with rivals Google and Samsung

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Apple is reportedly teaming up with AI startup Anthropic to develop an artificial intelligence-powered coding assistant for Xcode, according to a Bloomberg report.

The new tool, described as a “vibe coding” platform, will use Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet language model to assist programmers by generating, editing, and testing code.

The AI tool is currently being tested internally at Apple and could potentially be released to third-party developers depending on its success.

This move marks Apple’s latest foray into generative AI, as it attempts to catch up with rivals Google and Samsung, who have integrated advanced AI features across their product lines.

This collaboration could also be a critical boost for Anthropic, which has been lagging behind competitors such as OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and xAI.

Despite slower market traction, Claude’s models are widely regarded in the developer community for their strong reasoning capabilities and compatibility with diverse programming environments.

Apple previously attempted to launch a similar internal AI coding assistant, Swift Assist, in 2024.

However, that initiative was shelved following concerns from engineers about code hallucinations and development slowdowns.

The new Claude-powered assistant is integrated into a refreshed version of Xcode, Apple’s primary software development tool.

The AI is expected to support Swift, the programming language used by developers to build apps across Apple’s platforms.

While Apple has remained quiet about the specifics of the partnership, the company’s increased interest in generative AI includes deals with OpenAI to enhance Siri and possible future integration of Google’s Gemini AI.

Anthropic declined to comment on the report, and Apple has yet to issue a public response.

This partnership signals Apple’s growing reliance on external AI expertise to strengthen its software development ecosystem amid intensifying competition in the AI space.