Apple working to integrate AI agents into App Store, report says

Apple’s big developer conference, WWDC, will take place in a few weeks. And a new report indicates that an announcement could be coming regarding Apple’s efforts to better integrate AI agents into the App Store.

Apple is reportedly “designing a system” to allow AI agents to adhere to privacy and security standards.

Aaron Tilley, writing to The information:

Apple is exploring ways to better integrate AI agents into its App Store so it can benefit from the tech industry’s hottest trend while ensuring that software in its store continues to follow its rules, according to people briefed on the matter. (…)

AI agents, capable of performing complex actions on behalf of users, pose inherently thorny problems due to Apple’s strict regulations on its app platforms, designed to prevent apps from spreading malware, avoiding App Store fees and committing other inappropriate behavior. For example, some agents can create smaller apps on-site to perform a wide variety of tasks, which could be a problem if agents do this after Apple has already approved the apps they live in.

Apple’s efforts to integrate AI agents into the App Store aim to reconcile these inconsistencies. Although the details could not be learned, its employees are designing a system to adhere to its privacy and security standards and prevent the freer behavior that some users of agent systems such as OpenClaw have experienced, where agents can go haywire and delete all of a user’s emails, according to people briefed on the matter.

The report states that Apple may announce its new AI agent updates to the App Store at WWDC next month. However, it is possible that the company is not yet ready for this unveiling.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently acknowledged the rise of AI agents when he addressed Mac supply shortages during the latest quarterly results. Many users are turning to Apple Mac mini and Mac Studio desktop computers to run AI agents.

Naturally, Apple doesn’t want its lucrative App Store business to be disrupted by the new trend. But if it can find a way to better support AI agents and provide key privacy and security guarantees through the App Store, it makes a lot of sense.

What do you expect Apple to launch in the App Store regarding AI agents? Let us know in the comments.