Apple and Anthropic join forces to develop an AI-assisted coding platform
- Marijan Hassan - Tech Journalist
- May 7
- 2 min read
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is reportedly partnering with AI startup Anthropic to build an internal “vibe-coding” software platform. "Vibe coding" is a recently coined term that describes a modern approach to software development heavily reliant on artificial intelligence (AI). Instead of writing code manually, a programmer uses plain language to describe their problem to an AI model, tuned for coding.
This new platform is the next-generation version of Apple's existing programming software, Xcode. It comes after Apple had previously announced it would release an AI-driven coding tool for Xcode named Swift Assist in 2024. According to Bloomberg, it was never made available to developers, with some concerns from Apple's engineers about potential slowdowns in app development.
The report further revealed that the platform will be powered by Anthropic's Claude Sonnet model, known for its strong performance in coding-related tasks.
The move is part of Apple’s broader strategy to integrate best-in-class AI capabilities through partnerships. The company already leverages OpenAI’s ChatGPT for its Apple Intelligence features and has hinted that Google’s Gemini may be offered as an alternative AI assistant.
Anthropic’s Claude, now joining the mix, is the model behind Windsurf and Cursor, two of the best AI coding tools right now. These platforms emphasize an intuitive and collaborative coding experience, and Apple's reported internal project suggests a similar direction.
Good news or bad news
There’s no denying the usefulness of AI-assisted coding. You don’t even need to be technical to create an app right now. Now imagine what the tool can achieve in the hands of an experienced engineer. The direct benefit is increased productivity and faster innovation.
But, it could also have a negative effect, now that a single programmer can easily complete the work of 5 software engineers. We could see increased layoffs as the tech giant cuts redundant engineers.
