OpenAI Acquires Xcode Assistant Alex Codes Team
▼ Summary
– The team behind Alex Codes, a tool integrating AI into Apple’s Xcode, is joining OpenAI’s Codex division.
– Alex Codes was a Y-Combinator-backed startup founded in 2024 to bring AI models into Xcode.
– Apple recently updated Xcode to support ChatGPT and other AI models, though this wasn’t cited as a reason for the team’s move.
– Alex Codes will support existing users but stop new downloads after October 1, with no new features added.
– OpenAI has a history of acqui-hiring teams rather than buying entire companies, including a recent $1.1 billion acquisition of Statsig.
The team behind Alex Codes, a widely-used tool that integrates AI models directly into Apple’s Xcode development environment, is now joining OpenAI. This move represents a strategic acqui-hire, with the startup’s personnel set to work within OpenAI’s Codex division, which focuses on developing advanced AI coding agents.
Daniel Edrisian, the founder of Alex Codes, announced the transition in a social media post. He reflected on the company’s journey, noting that when they began, Xcode lacked native AI capabilities. Building what he described as a “Cursor for Xcode” seemed ambitious at the time, yet the team succeeded in creating what many consider the premier coding assistant for iOS and macOS applications.
Backed by Y-Combinator and established in 2024, Alex Codes aimed to bring AI-powered functionality to Xcode users. However, earlier this year, Apple updated its own development suite to allow integration with external AI models like ChatGPT, reducing the need for third-party tools. While Edrisian did not directly attribute the team’s move to this shift, the timing suggests it may have influenced the decision.
According to a blog post from Alex Codes, the application will continue to be supported for existing users, though new downloads will cease after October 1. The team has committed to maintaining the product for current users but will not introduce additional features moving forward. It remains unclear whether all three team members listed on the Y-Combinator profile will transition to OpenAI.
This is not the first time OpenAI has pursued a talent-focused acquisition rather than a full company buyout. Earlier this week, the AI giant also announced the acquisition of product testing startup Statsig in a deal valued at $1.1 billion.
(Source: TechCrunch)
