Apple is teaming up with Anthropic, an Amazon-backed US AI startup, to create a new coding tool called “vibe-coding.” This tool helps programmers write, edit, and test code in Xcode using AI. It works with Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet model. Apple plans to use this tool internally first and hasn’t decided if it’ll be released to the public. The goal is to test and make sure it’s stable before sharing it.
How it works
The new AI-powered coding tool makes it easier for developers to write code, even if they’re not experts in Swift. They can ask AI for help through a chat window. It also tests app UI to see if it works on different devices and helps manage and fix bugs. The AI checks the code for problems and suggests fixes.
Other top tech companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Freshworks use AI tools to help with coding. Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, said that 20-30% of some project code is written with AI. This shows how much AI is changing the way companies work.
Competition in AI coding
OpenAI is reportedly in talks to buy Windsurf, an AI coding startup, for $3 billion. This move is likely to help OpenAI compete with Google’s Generative AI, Anthropic, and xAI, which are all investing heavily in AI development. The deal could make ChatGPT better at helping with coding tasks.
In June 2024, Apple launched Swift Assist at WWDC 2024. This AI tool helps developers write code, mainly with Swift. However, reports say Swift Assist has some issues, which might be why Apple is working with Anthropic on vibe-coding. We might see more about this at WWDC 2025.