Apple Announced Swift Assist at WWDC 2024... So Where Is It?

[thejadedmonkey]

Wait, I thought the new auto-complete introduce in 16.2 is Swift Assist.

Well that isn't very good, either.

 

[rbart]

AI for code is probably one of the most efficient use case for LLM.
It's a shame Apple is so far behind...
AI is more useful here than to create cat pictures...
AI autocompletion in Xcode is a joke, it' not really better than random code generation.

 

[wanha]

That became apparent as soon as they started integrating ads into system apps. If the rumors are true, Maps is next in line. Why would they do that? Are they really so desperate for ad revenue that they’re willing to trade customer trust?

This is a problem all publicly held companies face - shareholders and investors demand growth in revenue and profit that goes on forever.

Of course it never does, so companies become incentivized to start prioritizing money over quality.

Over time, you get something rotten like, well, this

99% of shareholders care about money and ROI first and foremost. Things like the environment, ethics, or worker's rights tend to go on the "nice to have" list

 

[Astuces iOS]

Yeah I submit feedback, make a post in macrumors and make a post in the apple developer forums and it’s still missing I am angry now grrrrrr

 

[redenz]

I would love to see some actual humility out of Apple at WWDC this year. Some realistic statements, announcing things that are actually ready to be released at least in beta, things like that.

So tired of being patronized to every year. These pre-recorded formats are not good for Apple. They are already far too much in their own bubble. They need feedback, even if it's just from their carefully chosen friendly audience members.

The line that always makes me want to vomit is the "and our customers love it". Nope. Not always and honestly not a lot lately either.

 

[Astuces iOS]

AI for code is probably one of the most efficient use case for LLM.
It's a shame Apple is so far behind...
AI is more useful here than to create cat pictures...
AI autocompletion in Xcode is a joke, it' not really better than random code generation.

Well it could be huge… it may do everything you want like making a full app for you!!

 

[sunapple]

(A) AI’s ability is probably vastly overblown; that goes for Apple Intelligence too. Apple’s on-device tools are good if you have okay writing to begin with. I think it’s just more pronounced about it’s difficult for a layperson to spot the holes in other AI models than it does with Apple… in part because it goes viral when Apple Intelligence summarizes a BBC article poorly.

(B) If I received a nickel every time an Apple Event announced something that never happened in the last 20 years, I’d maybe have a dollar. It happens about once a year, but not so often that people have cared enough to declare Apple is a sinking ship.

So…
(C) I don’t think that Apple falling through or delaying an announcement is predictive or indicative of something new, just because it’s AI.

"AI is not that big a deal..." Well, Apple made it a big deal. People have already spent money on this promise. This doesn't happen every year I don't believe.

 

[wanha]

I imagine - and I seriously hope - that these are tense, uncomfortable days inside Apple as the company reconciles with this fiasco.

We can only hope the company learns from this and rises to the occasion, but it's hard to feel very optimistic about that

Humility doesn't exactly seem to be in vogue in 2025

 

[dannys1]

Apple Intelligence is a much bigger controversy than even the iPhone 4 Bar Leak.

Or the white iPhone 4 they couldn't make
Or the trash can Mac Pro they couldn't upgrade
Or Ping
Or Mobile Me
Or the original Apple Maps
Or the overheating G4 Cube
Or the 20th Anniversary Mac
Or the Lisa
Or the Butterfly Keyboard
Or the hockey puck mouse
Or the AirPower wireless charging mat
Or the Apple Pippin
Or the iPod Hi-Fi
Or the Apple Watch Gold Edition
Or Mac OS Copland
Or the Facetime Open Standard
Or the Apple Car
Or the Apple Bluetooth Headset
Or the Apple Quicktake Camera
Or the Apple Newton
Or the Apple Macintosh TV
Or the Apple LaserWriter Select series
Or the iPod Socks
Or .Mac
Or Firewire

Let's not pretend that Apple haven't had massive failures constantly from Jobs first run, the era without Jobs, on Jobs return and during Tim Cook. There's plenty.

 

[attohs]

Ambitious Impossibility

 

[kiranmk2]

I'm sure Apple could share more Swift documentation and example code with OpenAI (remember, they are partners) to get ChatGPT to offer better suggestions. What is more important to Apple - helping people learn & implement Swift or helping them using an Apple service?

 

[Astuces iOS]

Well that isn't very good, either.

ChatGPT can already help but needs WiFi… this thing might be crazy since it might not require.

 

[Astuces iOS]

I'm sure Apple could share more Swift documentation and example code with OpenAI (remember, they are partners) to get ChatGPT to offer better suggestions. What is more important to Apple - helping people learn & implement Swift or helping them using an Apple service?

I don’t understand apple why they don’t give explanation about why it’s not released.

 

[Orange Bat]

It’s kind of amazing how Apple has dropped the ball on their AI ambitions. They announced their AI play before it was close to being ready and now is scrambling to catch-up.

This is 2 big strikes for Apple between it’s AI failure and the terrible sales of Apple Vision.

 

[rbart]

Well it could be huge… it may do everything you want like making a full app for you!!

An "almost" full "almost" working app ...
It's funny, but not really something usable and maintainable.
But it's super efficient to help you in some parts of your code, write boiler plate code for unit tests ...

 

[Astuces iOS]

An "almost" full "almost" working app ...
It's funny, but not really something usable and maintainable.
But it's super efficient to help you in some parts of your code, write boiler plate code for unit tests ...

Maybe in 50 years… lol but yes it can help anyways

 

[Orange Bat]

AI for code is probably one of the most efficient use case for LLM.
It's a shame Apple is so far behind...
AI is more useful here than to create cat pictures...
AI autocompletion in Xcode is a joke, it' not really better than random code generation.

Completely agree. The only thing I use AI for on a regular basis is for code generation.

 

[sunapple]

Or the white iPhone 4 they couldn't make
Or the trash can Mac Pro they couldn't upgrade
Or Ping
Or Mobile Me
Or the original Apple Maps
Or the overheating G4 Cube
Or the 20th Anniversary Mac
Or the Lisa
Or the Butterfly Keyboard
Or the hockey puck mouse
Or the AirPower wireless charging mat
Or the Apple Pippin
Or the iPod Hi-Fi
Or the Apple Watch Gold Edition
Or Mac OS Copland
Or the Facetime Open Standard
Or the Apple Car
Or the Apple Bluetooth Headset
Or the Apple Quicktake Camera
Or the Apple Newton
Or the Apple Macintosh TV
Or the Apple LaserWriter Select series
Or the iPod Socks
Or .Mac
Or Firewire

Let's not pretend that Apple have had massive failures constantly from Jobs first run, the era without Jobs, on Jobs return and during Tim Cook. There's plenty.

At least most of this list got released. We now can't seem to get to beta.

Nothing wrong with iPod Socks BTW 🤓

 

[TechWhisperer]

Apple is disintegrating before our eyes, its grandiose, polished facade is cracking apart, ravaged by its own foolish miscalculations and arrogance. Now is the moment to claw our way out of its suffocating walled garden. Lol.

 

[antiprotest]

I hear Merriam Webster is updating its definitions for "pathetic" and "incompetent" later this year.

 

[gluckett]

Seems like for WWDC this year they just need to replay the presentations from last year since that is where everything announced seems to be headed.

 

[jicon]

I'm presuming Apple meant to copy what Microsoft has implemented with Visual Studio and Github Copilot.

Any comment from developers on frustration using it in MS Visual Studio? What is the common downfall?

Introducing the new Copilot experience in Visual Studio - Visual Studio Blog

We’re thrilled to introduce the new, unified Copilot experience in Visual Studio 17.10, now available in Preview 3 (General availability in May). This extension combines the features of Copilot and Copilot Chat into one convenient package, eliminating the need to install two separate extensions.

devblogs.microsoft.com

 

[facedmurkroots]

This is a problem all publicly held companies face - shareholders and investors demand growth in revenue and profit that goes on forever.

Of course it never does, so companies become incentivized to start prioritizing money over quality and over time, you get something rotten like this

I wish there were such a thing as ‘ethical investors’. No, not things like wind turbines or electric cars… actual ethical decisions like “Government C doesn’t like AI? Let’s prepare to leave that market” and “Government U wants our users data and a back door? Let’s prepare to leave that market”.

Yeah it’d cost shareholders but their ethics would see it as value for money. It’s a shame that nothing of the sort truly exists today despite some smart self appointed fund names

 

[Siliconguy]

Guess I have a different opinion. An operating system (especially when the company chooses to make its apps part of it) should never ever have ads.

Maps is an app, not the operating system. If ads start popping up in the Dock that will be a step too far.

 

[facedmurkroots]

I'm presuming Apple meant to copy what Microsoft has implemented with Visual Studio and Github Copilot.

Any comment from developers on frustration using it in MS Visual Studio? What is the common downfall?

Introducing the new Copilot experience in Visual Studio - Visual Studio Blog

We’re thrilled to introduce the new, unified Copilot experience in Visual Studio 17.10, now available in Preview 3 (General availability in May). This extension combines the features of Copilot and Copilot Chat into one convenient package, eliminating the need to install two separate extensions.

devblogs.microsoft.com

Oh CoPilot in Visual Studio is an absolute dream. It can take the work out of repetitive and easy to miss small errors like lightning.

I haven’t dabbled in Xcode as much (yet) but I seen its completion feature. Still useful but not comparable to Copilot which is out there today, working right now