OpenAI hires the staff behind Xcode coding assistant Alex

Acqui-hires really feel like they’re right here to remain: The staff behind Alex, a preferred device that lets builders use AI fashions inside Apple’s improvement suite Xcode, is becoming a member of OpenAI.

In a post on X, Alex’s founder Daniel Edrisian stated the startup’s staff is becoming a member of OpenAI’s Codex division, which is constructing the corporate’s AI coding agent.

Y Combinator-backed Alex was founded in 2024 and sought to combine AI fashions into Xcode. Apple, nevertheless, earlier this yr up to date Xcode to let customers faucet ChatGPT and different AI fashions with no need exterior instruments. Edrisian didn’t point out if this was a purpose his startup’s staff has joined OpenAI.

“Once we began out, Xcode had no AI. Constructing a “Cursor for Xcode” sounded loopy, however we managed to do it anyway. And, over time, we constructed one of the best coding agent for iOS & MacOS apps,” Edrisian wrote in his publish.

In a publish on Alex’s blog, the startup stated that it might proceed supporting present customers, although the app will now not have the ability to be downloaded after October 1. The corporate famous that the staff received’t add new options to the device, however would preserve the product so long as present customers are utilizing it.

Alex’s Y Combinator itemizing notes that the startup had three individuals engaged on the coding device. It’s not clear if all these staff are becoming a member of OpenAI.

We’ve requested OpenAI for a remark, and we are going to replace the story if we hear again.

OpenAI has completed a number of related “acquisitions” previously, hiring solely the staff behind a startup quite than shopping for the entire firm. The corporate earlier this week stated it was buying product testing startup Statsig for $1.1 billion.