Apple intends to introduce a new developer framework called Core AI at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2026, replacing Core ML — the on-device machine learning toolkit Apple has shipped across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and other platforms since iOS 11 in 2017. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported the change in his Power On newsletter on March 1, 2026 , calling the shift from "ML" to "AI" in the framework name significant while noting that the underlying purpose — helping developers integrate external AI models into apps with on-device execution — remains the same.
"The switch from 'ML' to 'AI' is significant" because "machine learning" is viewed as dated and less resonant with both developers and consumers than "AI." The core function — enabling developers to integrate outside AI models into apps — is unchanged.
Background: Core ML and Apple's On-Device AI Evolution
Core ML launched in 2017 as part of iOS 11, providing developers a unified API to integrate trained machine learning models into apps — with all inference running on-device to preserve privacy and performance. It supports CNNs, transformers, diffusion models, and more, across image, text, and audio tasks.
2017
Core ML launches with iOS 11
~3B
Parameters in Apple on-device Foundation Models (2025)
Jun 2026
Core AI expected at WWDC
9
Years Core ML has shipped across Apple platforms
What Changes and What Doesn't
Based on Gurman's reporting, Core AI is not a ground-up architectural replacement — it is a rebranding and modernization of Core ML within Apple's broader push to align its developer tools with the "AI" terminology that has become standard across the industry since 2023.
Core AI sits alongside — not replacing — the Foundation Models framework introduced in June 2025, which gives developers direct access to Apple's own ~3B parameter on-device language model. Core AI handles integration of external AI models into apps; Foundation Models surfaces Apple's own on-device LLM. Both are part of the Apple Intelligence developer stack.
WWDC 2026: Expected Scope
WWDC 2026 — expected in early-to-mid June — will preview Apple's full next OS generation alongside the Core AI announcement. No official dates have been confirmed as of March 1, 2026.
The Core AI announcement will arrive in the same week Apple previews what developers will build on for the next year — making the WWDC session details more consequential than the name change itself. For Apple's March 2026 hardware lineup — including the new entry-level MacBook, iPhone 17e, and MacBook Air M5 — see our Apple March 2–4 product coverage .
When "machine learning" gets rebranded to "AI" in the same framework slot, the only thing truly replaced is three letters on the API docs.