Apple is nearly finished developing a new generative AI tool for app developers, comparable to Microsoft's GitHub Copilot This will greatly reduce development time and make it easier to create new apps for the App Store

According to Mark Gurman, speaking to Bloomberg, the tech giant has been working on the project for at least the past year It will also allow developers to be more creative and bring a wider range of features to their applications

The project is expected to be part of the next version of Xcode (Apple's suite of tools that developers use to build applications for the Apple platform) as early as the end of this year

While this is still a rumor, it makes sense for Apple to upgrade and simplify the app development process; we may see the first preview of Xcode 16 with the new AI helpers at June's WWDC, which is supposedly focused on AI

The name of the software tool has not yet been leaked, but it is expected to be functionally competitive with GitHub Copilot but focused on Apple's programming languages, including Swift and SwiftUI

Interestingly, in May, Apple employees were advised not to use Microsoft's GitHub Copilot for fear of leaking sensitive data

If Apple's new tool works as well as GitHub Copilot, it could greatly speed up developers' workflow by predicting and completing strings of code on their behalf It would also allow them to write code to test their apps

There are already extensions for Xcode that can integrate GitHub Copilot itself into the workflow, such as CopilotForXcode by Shx Guo; Microsoft's AI tools are familiar with Swift and SwiftUI, but a more native AI would have a better grasp of its complexities, not to mention deeper integration

Then again, as AI continues to evolve and progress, it could bring the ability to create apps to the average iPad and iPhone user

Whether such tools will intimidate developers or enable them to create apps for the new technological age remains to be seen

Other AI features in Apple products reported by Bloomberg include automatic creation of Apple Music playlists and slides in the Keynote business presentation software This suggests a complete AI upgrade of the iWork suite

A new version of the Spotlight search feature on Apple devices could help users control certain iOS app features This could be very similar to the recent upgrade made to the Ark browser

Rumors have long circulated that the iPhone maker will unveil a new version of Siri with GPT at WWDC 2024 in June The company's acquisition also suggests that Apple will make a bold move in the field of AI