More AI expected in the App Store, if Apple manages to minimize risks

Apple is facing the issue of allowing apps using AI agents in the App Store and is having internal discussions about how to integrate them without violating long-standing App Store guidelines.

Artificial intelligence has led to a large number of apps hitting the App Store as developers embrace agent coding. Although Apple agrees to use AI to produce apps, it continues to struggle to offer apps using AI on the App Store itself, due to the risk of violating its rules.

Apple is now trying to figure out how to include apps that use AI agents in the App Store so it can profit from them, sources report. The information.

So far, Apple has blocked apps that could be used for flavor coding, including using AI to write code and create programs. However, App Store review guidelines prohibit apps from coding and producing other apps on the iPhone and iPad itself.

The tricky part is that the App Store review process aims to verify and protect users from potential harm, such as malware. If allowed to pass the review process, coding applications could be used to create malware, which would not have been inspectable by Apple beforehand.

There is also the problem of these agent coding applications creating other applications for the user. Although this is not verifiable by Apple, it may also prevent users from purchasing other apps from the App Store, thereby endangering its revenue.

Working with the rules

Apple is trying to find ways to solve this problem. Until now, this has ostensibly meant designing a system to enable apps to meet privacy and security standards.

Such a system would prevent some of the most sophisticated agentic AI systems from being present on iPhone. This means that there is no OpenClaw-like software with massive reach on the user’s system.

Apple has an obvious financial reason to enable these apps, especially as they gain popularity. But at the same time, these apps can also harm the ecosystem.

WWDC in June is expected to include plenty of AI-related content, but it’s unclear whether this AI push will involve the App Store.