Apple Intelligence has the potential to address my coding challenges — yet this crucial feature is absent.

      About a year ago, I began learning to code in Swift, Apple's programming language for app development. My goal was to eventually create my own iOS applications from the ground up and rekindle my passion for coding.

      However, after some time, my interest started to wane. The last time I practiced coding was nearly 20 years ago when I taught myself HTML and CSS, and it was challenging to regain that mindset. Additionally, I didn’t have a specific app objective, which diminished my motivation to overcome difficult parts of the learning process.

      Amidst all the exaggerated claims about how artificial intelligence (AI) will disrupt the world, I believe this is one area where AI could have genuinely assisted me. Things may have turned out differently if I had an AI helper to aid me in writing code for sections I struggled with. Perhaps, with that assistance, my coding journey wouldn’t have ended so abruptly.

      Interestingly, Apple has announced plans to introduce this kind of coding assistant called Swift Assist as part of its Apple Intelligence. The intention is for it to be integrated into the Xcode coding app, allowing users to generate code segments by simply entering natural language prompts, with Swift Assist creating functional code based on the user’s input.

      Missing in action

      Apple unveiled Swift Assist at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024, but there is a major issue: it appears to be nonexistent. It seems either that it’s vaporware or that it is so far from completion that Apple is ignoring its progress, as Swift Assist has yet to appear anywhere.

      For example, at WWDC 2024, Apple stated that Swift Assist would be released “later this year,” suggesting it was nearing completion. However, this functionality hasn't shown up in any Xcode or macOS beta, and as developer Michael Tsai noted, it hasn’t been mentioned in the release notes for the latest Xcode 16.3 beta 2. With WWDC 2025 just three months away, Apple is running out of time to present something substantive.

      The frustrating aspect of the Swift Assist situation is that it seems like a fantastic concept. Apple claimed it would possess a deep understanding of the Swift programming language and the company’s latest APIs, which many other AI tools struggle to handle. It could potentially provide innovative solutions if you find yourself stuck in a single, unproductive line of thought—a challenge I frequently encountered while coding.

      Additionally, Swift Assist is supposed to operate in the cloud, with Apple asserting that your code won’t be stored on its servers and “Apple doesn’t utilize it for training machine learning models.” This is particularly crucial when dealing with custom code and AI models—a potentially hazardous combination.

      Apple competitor OpenAI recently demonstrated that ChatGPT could seamlessly integrate into Xcode, generating code based on natural language prompts, similar to Swift Assist’s intended functionality. Google's Gemini AI is also capable of performing comparable tasks. However, with OpenAI and Google, there’s a valid concern that proprietary code risks being absorbed to train their models, which could result in code leaks. In contrast, Apple prioritizes privacy and security.

      Another delayed AI feature

      Swift Assist seems to have vanished from discussions, with Apple not mentioning it for months. This situation reflects a broader pattern with Apple Intelligence, where numerous delayed and poorly executed features are accumulating. The postponement of improved Siri capabilities is another recent instance.

      The delay of Swift Assist is particularly disappointing for me as I envision how it could have helped me overcome the obstacles that hindered my prior attempt to learn Swift. While I could use ChatGPT as an alternative, privacy is a significant concern for me. Knowing that my code wouldn’t contribute to an anonymous AI’s purpose is vital to me.

      I hope Apple is diligently working on Swift Assist, and I remain optimistic that we will see it sooner rather than later. It could serve as a valuable tool for all developers, whether seasoned professionals or enthusiastic beginners. However, Apple needs to expedite its development before rivals like ChatGPT offer similar features without the same privacy safeguards.