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A Summary of the WWDC25 Group Lab - Machine Learning and AI Frameworks
At WWDC25 we launched a new type of Lab event for the developer community - Group Labs. A Group Lab is a panel Q&A designed for a large audience of developers. Group Labs are a unique opportunity for the community to submit questions directly to a panel of Apple engineers and designers. Here are the highlights from the WWDC25 Group Lab for Machine Learning and AI Frameworks. What are you most excited about in the Foundation Models framework? The Foundation Models framework provides access to an on-device Large Language Model (LLM), enabling entirely on-device processing for intelligent features. This allows you to build features such as personalized search suggestions and dynamic NPC generation in games. The combination of guided generation and streaming capabilities is particularly exciting for creating delightful animations and features with reliable output. The seamless integration with SwiftUI and the new design material Liquid Glass is also a major advantage. When should I still bring my own LLM via CoreML? It's generally recommended to first explore Apple's built-in system models and APIs, including the Foundation Models framework, as they are highly optimized for Apple devices and cover a wide range of use cases. However, Core ML is still valuable if you need more control or choice over the specific model being deployed, such as customizing existing system models or augmenting prompts. Core ML provides the tools to get these models on-device, but you are responsible for model distribution and updates. Should I migrate PyTorch code to MLX? MLX is an open-source, general-purpose machine learning framework designed for Apple Silicon from the ground up. It offers a familiar API, similar to PyTorch, and supports C, C++, Python, and Swift. MLX emphasizes unified memory, a key feature of Apple Silicon hardware, which can improve performance. It's recommended to try MLX and see if its programming model and features better suit your application's needs. MLX shines when working with state-of-the-art, larger models. Can I test Foundation Models in Xcode simulator or device? Yes, you can use the Xcode simulator to test Foundation Models use cases. However, your Mac must be running macOS Tahoe. You can test on a physical iPhone running iOS 18 by connecting it to your Mac and running Playgrounds or live previews directly on the device. Which on-device models will be supported? any open source models? The Foundation Models framework currently supports Apple's first-party models only. This allows for platform-wide optimizations, improving battery life and reducing latency. While Core ML can be used to integrate open-source models, it's generally recommended to first explore the built-in system models and APIs provided by Apple, including those in the Vision, Natural Language, and Speech frameworks, as they are highly optimized for Apple devices. For frontier models, MLX can run very large models. How often will the Foundational Model be updated? How do we test for stability when the model is updated? The Foundation Model will be updated in sync with operating system updates. You can test your app against new model versions during the beta period by downloading the beta OS and running your app. It is highly recommended to create an "eval set" of golden prompts and responses to evaluate the performance of your features as the model changes or as you tweak your prompts. Report any unsatisfactory or satisfactory cases using Feedback Assistant. Which on-device model/API can I use to extract text data from images such as: nutrition labels, ingredient lists, cashier receipts, etc? Thank you. The Vision framework offers the RecognizeDocumentRequest which is specifically designed for these use cases. It not only recognizes text in images but also provides the structure of the document, such as rows in a receipt or the layout of a nutrition label. It can also identify data like phone numbers, addresses, and prices. What is the context window for the model? What are max tokens in and max tokens out? The context window for the Foundation Model is 4,096 tokens. The split between input and output tokens is flexible. For example, if you input 4,000 tokens, you'll have 96 tokens remaining for the output. The API takes in text, converting it to tokens under the hood. When estimating token count, a good rule of thumb is 3-4 characters per token for languages like English, and 1 character per token for languages like Japanese or Chinese. Handle potential errors gracefully by asking for shorter prompts or starting a new session if the token limit is exceeded. Is there a rate limit for Foundation Models API that is limited by power or temperature condition on the iPhone? Yes, there are rate limits, particularly when your app is in the background. A budget is allocated for background app usage, but exceeding it will result in rate-limiting errors. In the foreground, there is no rate limit unless the device is under heavy load (e.g., camera open, game mode). The system dynamically balances performance, battery life, and thermal conditions, which can affect the token throughput. Use appropriate quality of service settings for your tasks (e.g., background priority for background work) to help the system manage resources effectively. Do the foundation models support languages other than English? Yes, the on-device Foundation Model is multilingual and supports all languages supported by Apple Intelligence. To get the model to output in a specific language, prompt it with instructions indicating the user's preferred language using the locale API (e.g., "The user's preferred language is en-US"). Putting the instructions in English, but then putting the user prompt in the desired output language is a recommended practice. Are larger server-based models available through Foundation Models? No, the Foundation Models API currently only provides access to the on-device Large Language Model at the core of Apple Intelligence. It does not support server-side models. On-device models are preferred for privacy and for performance reasons. Is it possible to run Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) using the Foundation Models framework? Yes, it is possible to run RAG on-device, but the Foundation Models framework does not include a built-in embedding model. You'll need to use a separate database to store vectors and implement nearest neighbor or cosine distance searches. The Natural Language framework offers simple word and sentence embeddings that can be used. Consider using a combination of Foundation Models and Core ML, using Core ML for your embedding model.
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Jun ’25
Core ML Model performance far lower on iOS 17 vs iOS 16 (iOS 17 not using Neural Engine)
Hello, I posted an issue on the coremltools GitHub about my Core ML models not performing as well on iOS 17 vs iOS 16 but I'm posting it here just in case. TL;DR The same model on the same device/chip performs far slower (doesn't use the Neural Engine) on iOS 17 compared to iOS 16. Longer description The following screenshots show the performance of the same model (a PyTorch computer vision model) on an iPhone SE 3rd gen and iPhone 13 Pro (both use the A15 Bionic). iOS 16 - iPhone SE 3rd Gen (A15 Bioinc) iOS 16 uses the ANE and results in fast prediction, load and compilation times. iOS 17 - iPhone 13 Pro (A15 Bionic) iOS 17 doesn't seem to use the ANE, thus the prediction, load and compilation times are all slower. Code To Reproduce The following is my code I'm using to export my PyTorch vision model (using coremltools). I've used the same code for the past few months with sensational results on iOS 16. # Convert to Core ML using the Unified Conversion API coreml_model = ct.convert( model=traced_model, inputs=[image_input], outputs=[ct.TensorType(name="output")], classifier_config=ct.ClassifierConfig(class_names), convert_to="neuralnetwork", # compute_precision=ct.precision.FLOAT16, compute_units=ct.ComputeUnit.ALL ) System environment: Xcode version: 15.0 coremltools version: 7.0.0 OS (e.g. MacOS version or Linux type): Linux Ubuntu 20.04 (for exporting), macOS 13.6 (for testing on Xcode) Any other relevant version information (e.g. PyTorch or TensorFlow version): PyTorch 2.0 Additional context This happens across "neuralnetwork" and "mlprogram" type models, neither use the ANE on iOS 17 but both use the ANE on iOS 16 If anyone has a similar experience, I'd love to hear more. Otherwise, if I'm doing something wrong for the exporting of models for iOS 17+, please let me know. Thank you!
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Oct ’23
CreateML crashes with Unexpected Error on Feature Extraction
Note: I posted this to the feedback assistant but haven't gotten a response for 3months =( FB13482199 I am trying to train a large image classifier. I have a training run for ~300000 images. Each image has a folder and the file names within the folders are somewhat random. 381 classes. I am on an M2 Pro, Sonoma 14.0 running CreateML Version 5.0 (121.1). I would prefer not to pursue the pytorch/HF -> coremltools route. CreateML seems to consistently crash ~25000-30000 images in during the feature extraction phase with "Unexpected Error". It does not seem to be due to an out of memory issue. I am looking for some guidance since it seems impossible to debug why this is consistently crashing. My initial assumption was that it could be due to blank/corrupt files. I do not think that is the case. I also checked if there were any special characters in the data/folders. I wasn't able to go through all, but did try some programatic regex. Don't think this is the case either. I attached the sysdiagnose results in feedback assistant after the crash happened. I did notice when going into /var/logs there was some write issue saying that Mac had written too much to disk. Note: I also tried Xcode 15.2-beta this time and the associated CoreML version. My questions: How can I fix this? How should I go about debugging CreateML errors in the future? 'Unexpected Error' - where can I go about getting the exact createml logs on my device? This is far too broad of an error statement Please let me know. As a note, I did successfully train a past model on ~100000 images. I am planning to 10-15x that if this run is successful. Please help, spent a lot of time gathering the extra data and to date have been an occasional power user of createml. Haven't heard back from Apple since December =/. I assume I'm not the only one with this problem, so looking for any instructions to hands on debug and help others. Thx!
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1.3k
Mar ’24
NLModel won't initialize in MessageFilterExtension
i'm trying to create an NLModel within a MessageFilterExtension handler. The code works fine in the main app, but when I try to use it in the extension it fails to initialize. Just this doesn't even work and gets the error below. Single line that fails. SMS_Classifier is the class xcode generated for my model. This line works fine in the main app. let mlModel = try SMS_Classifier(configuration: MLModelConfiguration()).model Error Unable to locate Asset for contextual word embedding model for local en. MLModelAsset: load failed with error Error Domain=com.apple.CoreML Code=0 "initialization of text classifier model with model data failed" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=initialization of text classifier model with model data failed} Any ideas?
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1k
Apr ’24
WWDC24 - What's New in Create ML - Time Series Forecasting
The What’s New in Create ML session in WWDC24 went into great depth with time-series forecasting models (beginning at: 15:14) and mentioned these new models, capabilities, and tools for iOS 18. So, far, all I can find is API documentation. I don’t see any other session in WWDC24 covering these new time-series forecasting Create ML features. Is there more substance/documentation on how to use these with Create ML? Maybe I am looking in the wrong place but I am fairly new with ML. Are there any food truck / donut shop demo/sample code like in the video? It is of great interest to get ahead of the curve on this within business applications that may take advantage of this with inventory / ordering data.
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1.4k
Jun ’24
Vision and iOS18 - Failed to create espresso context.
I'm playing with the new Vision API for iOS18, specifically with the new CalculateImageAestheticsScoresRequest API. When I try to perform the image observation request I get this error: internalError("Error Domain=NSOSStatusErrorDomain Code=-1 \"Failed to create espresso context.\" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to create espresso context.}") The code is pretty straightforward: if let image = image { let request = CalculateImageAestheticsScoresRequest() Task { do { let cgImg = image.cgImage! let observations = try await request.perform(on: cgImg) let description = observations.description let score = observations.overallScore print(description) print(score) } catch { print(error) } } } I'm running it on a M2 using the simulator. Is it a bug? What's wrong?
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1.6k
Jun ’24
iOS 18 App Intents while supporting iOS 17
iOS 18 App Intents while supporting iOS 17 Hello, I have an existing app that supports iOS 17. I already have three App Intents but would like to add some of the new iOS 18 app intents like ShowInAppSearchResultsIntent. However, I am having a hard time using #available or @available to limit this ShowInAppSearchResultsIntent to iOS 18 only while still supporting iOS 17. Obviously, the ShowInAppSearchResultsIntent needs to use @AssistantIntent which is iOS 18 only, so I mark that struct as @available(iOS 18, *). That works as expected. It is when I need to add this "SearchSnippetIntent" intent to the AppShortcutsProvider, that I begin to have trouble doing. See code below: struct SnippetsShortcutsAppShortcutsProvider: AppShortcutsProvider { @AppShortcutsBuilder static var appShortcuts: [AppShortcut] { //iOS 17+ AppShortcut(intent: SnippetsNewSnippetShortcutsAppIntent(), phrases: [ "Create a New Snippet in \(.applicationName) Studio", ], shortTitle: "New Snippet", systemImageName: "rectangle.fill.on.rectangle.angled.fill") AppShortcut(intent: SnippetsNewLanguageShortcutsAppIntent(), phrases: [ "Create a New Language in \(.applicationName) Studio", ], shortTitle: "New Language", systemImageName: "curlybraces") AppShortcut(intent: SnippetsNewTagShortcutsAppIntent(), phrases: [ "Create a New Tag in \(.applicationName) Studio", ], shortTitle: "New Tag", systemImageName: "tag.fill") //iOS 18 Only AppShortcut(intent: SearchSnippetIntent(), phrases: [ "Search \(.applicationName) Studio", "Search \(.applicationName)" ], shortTitle: "Search", systemImageName: "magnifyingglass") } let shortcutTileColor: ShortcutTileColor = .blue } The iOS 18 Only AppShortcut shows the following error but none of the options seem to work. Maybe I am going about it the wrong way. 'SearchSnippetIntent' is only available in iOS 18 or newer Add 'if #available' version check Add @available attribute to enclosing static property Add @available attribute to enclosing struct Thanks in advance for your help.
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2.1k
Jun ’24
In iOS 18 beta, the SoundAnalysis framework reports an error when the iPhone is locked
I use SoundAnalysis to analyze background sounds and have enabled background permissions. It worked well in previous iOS systems, but a warning appeared in the new iOS18beta version and sound analysis was stopped. Warning List: Execution of the command buffer was aborted due to an error during execution. Insufficient Permission (to submit GPU work from background) [Espresso::handle_ex_plan] exception=Espresso exception: "Generic error": Insufficient Permission (to submit GPU work from background) (00000006:kIOGPUCommandBufferCallbackErrorBackgroundExecutionNotPermitted); code=7 status=-1 Unable to compute the prediction using a neural network model. It can be an invalid input data or broken/unsupported model (error code: -1). CoreML prediction failed with Error Domain=com.apple.CoreML Code=0 "Failed to evaluate model 0 in pipeline" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to evaluate model 0 in pipeline, NSUnderlyingError=0x30330e910 {Error Domain=com.apple.CoreML Code=0 "Failed to evaluate model 1 in pipeline" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Failed to evaluate model 1 in pipeline, NSUnderlyingError=0x303307840 {Error Domain=com.apple.CoreML Code=0 "Unable to compute the prediction using a neural network model. It can be an invalid input data or broken/unsupported model (error code: -1)." UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Unable to compute the prediction using a neural network model. It can be an invalid input data or broken/unsupported model (error code: -1).}}}}}
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2.5k
Jun ’24
CoreML 6 beta 2 - Failed to create CVPixelBufferPool
Hello everyone, I am trying to train using CreateML Version 6.0 Beta (146.1), feature extractor Image Feature Print v2. I am using 100K images for a total ~4GB on my M3 Max 48GB (MacOs 15.0 Beta (24A5279h)) The images seems to be correctly read and visualized in the Data Source section (no images with corrupted data seems to be there). When I start the training it's all fine for the first 6k ~ 7k pictures, then I receive the following error: Failed to create CVPixelBufferPool. Width = 0, Height = 0, Format = 0x00000000 It is the first time I am using it, so I don't really have so much of experience. Could you help me to understand what could be the problem? Thanks a lot
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1.2k
Jul ’24
Core ML Model Performance report shows prediction speed much faster than actual app runs
Hi all, I'm tuning my app prediction speed with Core ML model. I watched and tried the methods in video: Improve Core ML integration with async prediction and Optimize your Core ML usage. I also use instruments to look what's the bottleneck that my prediction speed cannot be faster. Below is the instruments result with my app. its prediction duration is 10.29ms And below is performance report shows the average speed of prediction is 5.55ms, that is about half time of my app prediction! Below is part of my instruments records. I think the prediction should be considered quite frequent. Could it be faster? How to be the same prediction speed as performance report? The prediction speed on macbook Pro M2 is nearly the same as macbook Air M1!
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1.2k
Oct ’24
CreateML
I'm trying to use the Spatial model to perform Object Tracking on a .usdz file that I create. After loading the file, which I can view correctly in the console, I start the training. Initially, I notice that the disk usage on my PC increases. After several GB, the usage stops, but the training progress remains for hours at 0.00% with the message "About 8hr." How can I understand what the issue is? Has anyone else experienced the same problem? Thanks Diego
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Oct ’24
Apple Intelligence stuck on "preparing" for 6 days.
On the October 10/28 release day of Apple Intelligence I opted in. My iPhone and iPad immediately went to "waitlist" and within 2 to 3 hours were ready to initialize Apple Intelligence. My MacBook Pro 14" with M3 Pro processor and 18 GB or RAM has been stuck on "preparing" since release day (6 days now). I've tried numerous workarounds that I found on forums as well as talking to Apple support, who basically had me repeat the workarounds that I found on forums. I've tried changing region to an area that does not have Apple Intelligence and then back to the US, I've changed Siri language to an unsupported one and back to a supported one, and I have tried disabling background/startup Apps, I've disabled and reenabled Siri. Oh, I've restarted a bunch and let the Mac alone for hours at a time. I've noticed that my selected Siri voice seems to not download. Finally, after several chats and calls with Apple support, I was told that it's Beta software, they can't help me, and I should try the developer forums.... so here I am. Any advice?
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3.0k
Nov ’24
Image Playground Error: Cannot find protocol declaration for 'ImageGenerationViewControllerDelegate'
@available(macCatalyst 18.1, *) @available(iOS 18.1, *) extension CKImageSelectionManager: ImagePlaygroundViewController.Delegate { public func imagePlaygroundViewController(_ imagePlaygroundViewController: ImagePlaygroundViewController, didCreateImageAt imageURL: URL) { } func presentImagePlayground() { let imagePlaygroundVC = ImagePlaygroundViewController() // Set delegate to self to receive the callback imagePlaygroundVC.delegate = self imagePlaygroundVC.isModalInPresentation = true // Prevents dismissal with swipe if needed self.delegate?.presentImageSelectionViewController(imagePlaygroundVC) } } This generates an error in the xcode generated swift header.
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1.1k
Nov ’24
tensorflow-metal for Python3.12 and tensorflow 2.17.x
Hi, The most recent version of tensorflow-metal is only available for macosx 12.0 and python up to version 3.11. Is there any chance it could be updated with wheels for macos 15 and Python 3.12 (which is the default version supported for tensrofllow 2.17+)? I'd note that even downgrading to Python 3.11 would not be sufficient, as the wheels only work for macos 12. Thanks.
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2.3k
Nov ’24
existential any error in MLModel class
Problem I have set SWIFT_UPCOMING_FEATURE_EXISTENTIAL_ANY at Build Settings > Swift Compiler - Upcoming Features to true to support this existential any proposal. Then following errors appears in the MLModel class, but this is an auto-generated file, so I don't know how to deal with it. Use of protocol 'MLFeatureProvider' as a type must be written 'any MLFeatureProvider' Use of protocol 'Error' as a type must be written 'any Error' environment Xcode 16.0 Xcode 16.1 Beta 2 What I tried Delete cache of DerivedData and regenerate MLModel class files I also tried using DepthAnythingV2SmallF16P6.mlpackage to verify if there is a problem with my mlmodel I tried the above after setting up Swift6 in Xcode I also used coremlc to generate MLModel class files with Swift6 specified by command.
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Dec ’24
About VisionKit DataScannerViewController
Hi I'm having a problem with DataScannerViewController, I'm using the volume barcode scanning feature in my app, prior to that I was using an AVCaptureDevice with the UltraWideAngle set. After discovering DataScannerViewController, we planned to replace the previous obsolete code with DataScannerViewController, all together it was ok, when I want to set the ultra wide angle, I don't know how to start. I tried to get the minZoomFactor and I realized that I get 0.0 I tried to set zoomFactor to 1.0 and I found that he is not valid Note: func dataScannerDidZoom(_ dataScanner: DataScannerViewController), when I try to get the minZoomFactor, set the zoomFactor in this proxy method, I find that it is valid! What should I do next, I want to use only DataScannerViewController and implement ultra wide angle Thanks a lot.
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636
Dec ’24
BarcodeObservation Orientation
Hi, I'm working with vision framework to detect barcodes. I tested both ean13 and data matrix detection and both are working fine except for the QuadrilateralProviding values in the returned BarcodeObservation. TopLeft, topRight, bottomRight and bottomLeft coordinates are rotated 90° counter clockwise (physical bottom left of data Matrix, the corner of the "L" is returned as the topLeft point in observation). The same behaviour is happening with EAN13 Barcode. Did someone else experienced the same issue with orientation? Is it normal behaviour or should we expect a fix in next releases of the Vision Framework?
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589
Dec ’24
Image Playground not available for "Designed for iPad" apps?
I'm currently trying to add support for Image Playground to our apps. It seems that it's not working in an app that is "Designed for iPad" and runs on a Mac. The modal just shows a spinner and the following is logged to console: Private sandbox for com.apple.GenerativePlaygroundApp.remoteUIExtension : <none> Private sandbox for com.apple.GenerativePlaygroundApp.remoteUIExtension : <none> Private sandbox for com.apple.GenerativePlaygroundApp.remoteUIExtension : <none> Private sandbox for com.apple.GenerativePlaygroundApp.remoteUIExtension : <none> GP extension could not be loaded: Extension (platform: 2) could not be found (in update) dealloc Query controller [C32BA176-6A3E-465D-B3C5-0F8D91068B89] ImagePlaygroundViewController.isAvailable returns true, however. In a "real" Mac Catalyst app, it's working. Just not when the app is actually an iPad app. Is this a bug?
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1.5k
Dec ’24
How to Retrieve VisualLookUp Results (e.g., Object Name) in VisionKit?
Hi everyone, I'm working on an iOS app that uses VisionKit and I'm exploring the .visualLookUp feature. Specifically, I want to extract the detailed information that Visual Look Up provides after identifying an object in an image (e.g., if the object is a flower, retrieve its name; if it’s a clothing tag, get the tag's content).
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613
Dec ’24