Apple joins hands with AI programming giant

Apple's AI technology is said to be less effective than its competitors. Photo: Beebom .

According to Bloomberg , Apple is partnering with Anthropic, the owner of AI Claude, to develop a “vibe-coding” software platform. Vibe-coding is a term introduced by Andrej Karpathy, co-founder of OpenAI, to mean using artificial intelligence to write, edit and test programming code instead of programmers.

The system is a new version of Xcode, Apple’s programming software, that now incorporates Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet model. Apple will initially deploy the software internally and has not yet decided whether to release it publicly, the sources said, asking not to be identified because the initiative has not been announced.

Open to cooperation

The effort shows how Apple is using AI to improve its internal workflows, with the goal of speeding up and modernizing product development. The approach is similar to that of some programming companies like Windsurf and Cursor developer Anysphere, which are providing employees with advanced AI coding assistants.

Apple was hesitant to use AI to create software in the early days of generative artificial intelligence, but with recent advances in large language models, the company is slowly changing its tune.

Last year, Apple announced an AI-powered programming tool for Xcode called Swift Assist, which the company planned to release in 2024 but ultimately did not release to developers.

Apple is integrating Anthropic's Claude Sonnet model into its internal programming software. Photo: Bloomberg.

According to internal conversations, engineers have complained that Apple’s own system can be “delusional,” meaning it can fabricate information, and even slow down app development. Partnering with Anthropic means Apple acknowledges the need for outside help, even though the two systems may eventually be integrated to work together.

Of the major language models available today, Anthropic's Claude is considered to be the best at programming. According to multiple sources, Apple's new tool will include a chat window where programmers can enter requests to write or edit code. The software will also test the user interface, a cumbersome process if done manually, and support management to find and fix bugs.

Bloomberg said the company has previously avoided using third-party models, with the exception of a deal with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is integrated to support queries in its Siri virtual assistant. Apple is expected to add Alphabet (Google)’s Gemini as an alternative to ChatGPT later this year.

Acceleration strategies in the AI race

Apple is cautiously rolling out the new programming software internally. If testing goes well, the company may open it up to third-party developers.

For Anthropic, the partnership with Apple is a big step forward. The company previously worked with Amazon to provide AI for its new virtual assistant Alexa+. When Apple considered integrating AI into Siri last year, it only seriously discussed it with Google and OpenAI before finally choosing to partner with ChatGPT.

AI programming technology is becoming more popular. According to Bloomberg News , OpenAI is in talks to acquire Windsurf at a valuation of about $3 billion . The launch of GitHub Copilot, a tool that supports AI code completion, more than two years ago was the push that made Apple realize that it was lagging behind in the field of generative AI.

The company’s AI tools have been criticized by users as being less effective than competitors, and Apple has even indefinitely postponed the launch of an improved version of Siri, which was announced last year.

In an effort to regain its position in the AI race, Apple recently reorganized its internal structure. The company transferred technical responsibility for Siri and the robot development team from AI Director John Giannandrea to Software Engineering Director Craig Federighi.

John Giannandrea, Director of AI and Craig Federighi, Director of Software Engineering at Apple. Photo: Bloomberg.

During the second quarter earnings call on May 1, CEO Tim Cook defended Apple’s AI strategy, emphasizing the approach of running AI models directly on user devices and the company’s entire operating system.

Cook also confirmed that Apple wants to develop “some of our own AI models,” but that it is open to working with outside partners. “I don’t see it as a choice between doing it all in-house or going all in,” he said.

Source: https://znews.vn/apple-bat-tay-voi-ong-lon-nganh-ai-lap-trinh-post1550771.html