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Pre-inference AI Safety Governor for FoundationModels (Swift, On-Device)
Greetings, and Happy Holidays, I've been building an on-device AI safety layer called Newton Engine, designed to validate prompts before they reach FoundationModels (or any LLM). Wanted to share v1.3 and get feedback from the community. The Problem Current AI safety is post-training — baked into the model, probabilistic, not auditable. When Apple Intelligence ships with FoundationModels, developers will need a way to catch unsafe prompts before inference, with deterministic results they can log and explain. What Newton Does Newton validates every prompt pre-inference and returns: Phase (0/1/7/8/9) Shape classification Confidence score Full audit trace If validation fails, generation is blocked. If it passes (Phase 9), the prompt proceeds to the model. v1.3 Detection Categories (14 total) Jailbreak / prompt injection Corrosive self-negation ("I hate myself") Hedged corrosive ("Not saying I'm worthless, but...") Emotional dependency ("You're the only one who understands") Third-person manipulation ("If you refuse, you're proving nobody cares") Logical contradictions ("Prove truth doesn't exist") Self-referential paradox ("Prove that proof is impossible") Semantic inversion ("Explain how truth can be false") Definitional impossibility ("Square circle") Delegated agency ("Decide for me") Hallucination-risk prompts ("Cite the 2025 CDC report") Unbounded recursion ("Repeat forever") Conditional unbounded ("Until you can't") Nonsense / low semantic density Test Results 94.3% catch rate on 35 adversarial test cases (33/35 passed). Architecture User Input ↓ [ Newton ] → Validates prompt, assigns Phase ↓ Phase 9? → [ FoundationModels ] → Response Phase 1/7/8? → Blocked with explanation Key Properties Deterministic (same input → same output) Fully auditable (ValidationTrace on every prompt) On-device (no network required) Native Swift / SwiftUI String Catalog localization (EN/ES/FR) FoundationModels-ready (#if canImport) Code Sample — Validation let governor = NewtonGovernor() let result = governor.validate(prompt: userInput) if result.permitted { // Proceed to FoundationModels let session = LanguageModelSession() let response = try await session.respond(to: userInput) } else { // Handle block print("Blocked: Phase \(result.phase.rawValue) — \(result.reasoning)") print(result.trace.summary) // Full audit trace } Questions for the Community Anyone else building pre-inference validation for FoundationModels? Thoughts on the Phase system (0/1/7/8/9) vs. simple pass/fail? Interest in Shape Theory classification for prompt complexity? Best practices for integrating with LanguageModelSession? Links GitHub: https://github.com/jaredlewiswechs/ada-newton Technical overview: parcri.net Happy to share more implementation details. Looking for feedback, collaborators, and anyone else thinking about deterministic AI safety on-device. parcri.net has the link :)
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Dec ’25
SoundAnalysis built-in classifier fails in background (SNErrorCode.operationFailed)
I’m seeing consistent failures using SoundAnalysis live classification when my app moves to the background. Setup iOS 17.x AVAudioEngine mic capture SNAudioStreamAnalyzer SNClassifySoundRequest(classifierIdentifier: .version1) UIBackgroundModes = audio AVAudioSession .record / .playAndRecord, active Audio capture + level metering continue working in background (mic indicator stays on) Issue As soon as the app enters background / screen locks: SoundAnalysis starts failing every second with domain:com.apple.SoundAnalysis, code:2(SNErrorCode.operationFailed) Audio capture itself continues normally When the app returns to foreground, classification immediately resumes without restarting the engine/analyzer Question Is live background sound classification with the built-in SoundAnalysis classifier officially unsupported or known to fail in background? If so, is a custom Core ML model the only supported approach for background detection? Or is there a required configuration I’m missing to keep SNClassifySoundRequest(.version1) running in background? Thanks for any clarification.
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Dec ’25
CoreML Unified Memory failure/silent exit on long video tasks (M1 Mac 32GB)
Hi Apple Engineers, I am experiencing a potential memory management bug with CoreML on M1 Mac (32GB Unified Memory). When processing long video files (approx. 12,000 frames) using a CoreML execution provider, the system often completes the 'Analysing' phase but fails to transition into 'Processing'. It simply exits silently or hits an import error (scipy). However, if I split the same task into small 20-frame segments, it works perfectly at high speeds (~40 FPS). This suggests the hardware is capable, but there is an issue with memory fragmentation or resource cleanup during long-running CoreML sessions. Is there a way to force a VRAM/Unified Memory flush via CLI, or is this a known limitation for large frame indexing?
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Dec ’25
Using coremltools in a CI/CD pipeline
Hi everyone 👋 I'd like to use coremltools to see how well a model performs on a remote device as part of a CI/CD pipeline. According to the Core ML Tools "Debugging and Performance Utilities" guide, remote devices must be in a "connected" state in order for coremltools to install the ModelRunner application. The devices in our system have a "paired" state, and I'm unable to set the them as "connected." The only way I know how to connect a device is to physically plug it in to a computer and open Xcode. I don't have physical access to the devices in the CI/CD system, and the host computer that interacts with them doesn't have Xcode installed. Here are some questions I've been looking into and would love some help answering: Has anyone managed to use the coremltools performance utilities in a similar system? Can you put a device in a "connected" state if you don't have physical access to the device and if you only have access to Xcode command line tools and not the Xcode app? Is it at all possible to install the coremltools ModelRunner application on a "paired" device, for example, by manually building the app and installing it with devicectl? Would other utilities, such as the MLModelBenchmarker work as expected if the app is installed this way? Thank you!
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513
Dec ’25
ANE Error with Statefu Model: "Unable to compute prediction" when State Tensor width is not 32-aligned
Hi everyone, I believe I’ve encountered a potential bug or a hardware alignment limitation in the Core ML Framework / ANE Runtime specifically affecting the new Stateful API (introduced in iOS 18/macOS 15). The Issue: A Stateful mlprogram fails to run on the Apple Neural Engine (ANE) if the state tensor dimensions (specifically the width) are not a multiple of 32. The model works perfectly on CPU and GPU, but fails on ANE both during runtime and when generating a Performance Report in Xcode. Error Message in Xcode UI: "There was an error creating the performance report Unable to compute the prediction using ML Program. It can be an invalid input data or broken/unsupported model." Observations: Case A (Fails): State shape = (1, 3, 480, 270). Prediction fails on ANE. Case B (Success): State shape = (1, 3, 480, 256). Prediction succeeds on ANE. This suggests an internal memory alignment or tiling issue within the ANE driver when handling Stateful buffers that don't meet the 32-pixel/element alignment. Reproduction Code (PyTorch + coremltools): import torch.nn as nn import coremltools as ct import numpy as np class RNN_Stateful(nn.Module): def __init__(self, hidden_shape): super(RNN_Stateful, self).__init__() # Simple conv to update state self.conv1 = nn.Conv2d(3 + hidden_shape[1], hidden_shape[1], kernel_size=3, padding=1) self.conv2 = nn.Conv2d(hidden_shape[1], 3, kernel_size=3, padding=1) self.register_buffer("hidden_state", torch.ones(hidden_shape, dtype=torch.float16)) def forward(self, imgs): self.hidden_state = self.conv1(torch.cat((imgs, self.hidden_state), dim=1)) return self.conv2(self.hidden_state) # h=480, w=255 causes ANE failure. w=256 works. b, ch, h, w = 1, 3, 480, 255 model = RNN_Stateful((b, ch, h, w)).eval() traced_model = torch.jit.trace(model, torch.randn(b, 3, h, w)) mlmodel = ct.convert( traced_model, inputs=[ct.TensorType(name="input_image", shape=(b, 3, h, w), dtype=np.float16)], outputs=[ct.TensorType(name="output", dtype=np.float16)], states=[ct.StateType(wrapped_type=ct.TensorType(shape=(b, ch, h, w), dtype=np.float16), name="hidden_state")], minimum_deployment_target=ct.target.iOS18, convert_to="mlprogram" ) mlmodel.save("rnn_stateful.mlpackage") Steps to see the error: Open the generated .mlpackage in Xcode 16.0+. Go to the Performance tab and run a test on a device with ANE (e.g., iPhone 15/16 or M-series Mac). The report will fail to generate with the error mentioned above. Environment: OS: macOS 15.2 Xcode: 16.3 Hardware: M4 Has anyone else encountered this 32-pixel alignment requirement for StateType tensors on ANE? Is this a known hardware constraint or a bug in the Core ML runtime? Any insights or workarounds (other than manual padding) would be appreciated.
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411
Dec ’25
RDMA API Documentation
With the release of the newest version of tahoe and MLX supporting RDMA. Is there a documentation link to how to utilizes the libdrma dylib as well as what functions are available? I am currently assuming it mostly follows the standard linux infiniband library but I would like the apple specific details.
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Dec ’25
Accessibility & Inclusion
We are developing Apple AI for foreign markets and adapting it for iPhone models 17 and above. When the system language and Siri language are not the same—for example, if the system is in English and Siri is in Chinese—it can cause a situation where Apple AI cannot be used. So, may I ask if there are any other reasons that could cause Apple AI to be unavailable within the app, even if it has been enabled?
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473
Dec ’25
Is MCP (Model Context Protocol) supported on iOS/macOS?
Hi team, I’m exploring the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which is used to connect LLMs/AI agents to external tools in a structured way. It's becoming a common standard for automation and agent workflows. Before I go deeper, I want to confirm: Does Apple currently provide any official MCP server, API surface, or SDK on iOS/macOS? From what I see, only third-party MCP servers exist for iOS simulators/devices, and Apple’s own frameworks (Foundation Models, Apple Intelligence) don’t expose MCP endpoints. Is there any chance Apple might introduce MCP support—or publish recommended patterns for safely integrating MCP inside apps or developer tools? I would like to see if I can share my app's data to the MCP server to enable other third-party apps/services to integrate easily
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Dec ’25
Vision face landmarks shifted on iOS 26 but correct on iOS 18 with same code and image
I'm using Vision framework (DetectFaceLandmarksRequest) with the same code and the same test image to detect face landmarks. On iOS 18 everything works as expected: detected face landmarks align with the face correctly. But when I run the same code on devices with iOS 26, the landmark coordinates are outside the [0,1] range, which indicates they are out of face bounds. Fun fact: the old VNDetectFaceLandmarksRequest API works very well without encountering this issue How I get face landmarks: private let faceRectangleRequest = DetectFaceRectanglesRequest(.revision3) private var faceLandmarksRequest = DetectFaceLandmarksRequest(.revision3) func detectFaces(in ciImage: CIImage) async throws -> FaceTrackingResult { let faces = try await faceRectangleRequest.perform(on: ciImage) faceLandmarksRequest.inputFaceObservations = faces let landmarksResults = try await faceLandmarksRequest.perform(on: ciImage) ... } How I show face landmarks in SwiftUI View: private func convert( point: NormalizedPoint, faceBoundingBox: NormalizedRect, imageSize: CGSize ) -> CGPoint { let point = point.toImageCoordinates( from: faceBoundingBox, imageSize: imageSize, origin: .upperLeft ) return point } At the same time, it works as expected and gives me the correct results: region is FaceObservation.Landmarks2D.Region let points: [CGPoint] = region.pointsInImageCoordinates( imageSize, origin: .upperLeft ) After that, I found that the landmarks are normalized relative to the unalignedBoundingBox. However, I can’t access it in code. Still, using these values for the bounding box works correctly. Things I've already tried: Same image input Tested multiple devices on iOS 26.2 -> always wrong. Tested multiple devices on iOS 18.7.1 -> always correct. Environment: macOS 26.2 Xcode 26.2 (17C52) Real devices, not simulator Face Landmarks iOS 18 Face Landmarks iOS 26
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Dec ’25
DockKit .track() has no effect using VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest
Hi, I'm testing DockKit with a very simple setup: I use VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest to detect a face and then call dockAccessory.track(...) using the detected bounding box. The stand is correctly docked (state == .docked) and dockAccessory is valid. I'm calling .track(...) with a single observation and valid CameraInformation (including size, device, orientation, etc.). No errors are thrown. To monitor this, I added a logging utility – track(...) is being called 10–30 times per second, as recommended in the documentation. However: the stand does not move at all. There is no visible reaction to the tracking calls. Is there anything I'm missing or doing wrong? Is VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest supported for DockKit tracking, or are there hidden requirements? Would really appreciate any help or pointers – thanks! That's my complete code: extension VideoFeedViewController: AVCaptureVideoDataOutputSampleBufferDelegate { func captureOutput(_ output: AVCaptureOutput, didOutput sampleBuffer: CMSampleBuffer, from connection: AVCaptureConnection) { guard let frame = CMSampleBufferGetImageBuffer(sampleBuffer) else { return } detectFace(image: frame) func detectFace(image: CVPixelBuffer) { let faceDetectionRequest = VNDetectFaceRectanglesRequest() { vnRequest, error in guard let results = vnRequest.results as? [VNFaceObservation] else { return } guard let observation = results.first else { return } let boundingBoxHeight = observation.boundingBox.size.height * 100 #if canImport(DockKit) if let dockAccessory = self.dockAccessory { Task { try? await trackRider( observation.boundingBox, dockAccessory, frame, sampleBuffer ) } } #endif } let imageResultHandler = VNImageRequestHandler(cvPixelBuffer: image, orientation: .up) try? imageResultHandler.perform([faceDetectionRequest]) func combineBoundingBoxes(_ box1: CGRect, _ box2: CGRect) -> CGRect { let minX = min(box1.minX, box2.minX) let minY = min(box1.minY, box2.minY) let maxX = max(box1.maxX, box2.maxX) let maxY = max(box1.maxY, box2.maxY) let combinedWidth = maxX - minX let combinedHeight = maxY - minY return CGRect(x: minX, y: minY, width: combinedWidth, height: combinedHeight) } #if canImport(DockKit) func trackObservation(_ boundingBox: CGRect, _ dockAccessory: DockAccessory, _ pixelBuffer: CVPixelBuffer, _ cmSampelBuffer: CMSampleBuffer) throws { // Zähle den Aufruf TrackMonitor.shared.trackCalled() let invertedBoundingBox = CGRect( x: boundingBox.origin.x, y: 1.0 - boundingBox.origin.y - boundingBox.height, width: boundingBox.width, height: boundingBox.height ) guard let device = captureDevice else { fatalError("Kamera nicht verfügbar") } let size = CGSize(width: Double(CVPixelBufferGetWidth(pixelBuffer)), height: Double(CVPixelBufferGetHeight(pixelBuffer))) var cameraIntrinsics: matrix_float3x3? = nil if let cameraIntrinsicsUnwrapped = CMGetAttachment( sampleBuffer, key: kCMSampleBufferAttachmentKey_CameraIntrinsicMatrix, attachmentModeOut: nil ) as? Data { cameraIntrinsics = cameraIntrinsicsUnwrapped.withUnsafeBytes { $0.load(as: matrix_float3x3.self) } } Task { let orientation = getCameraOrientation() let cameraInfo = DockAccessory.CameraInformation( captureDevice: device.deviceType, cameraPosition: device.position, orientation: orientation, cameraIntrinsics: cameraIntrinsics, referenceDimensions: size ) let observation = DockAccessory.Observation( identifier: 0, type: .object, rect: invertedBoundingBox ) let observations = [observation] guard let image = CMSampleBufferGetImageBuffer(sampleBuffer) else { print("no image") return } do { try await dockAccessory.track(observations, cameraInformation: cameraInfo) } catch { print(error) } } } #endif func clearDrawings() { boundingBoxLayer?.removeFromSuperlayer() boundingBoxSizeLayer?.removeFromSuperlayer() } } } } @MainActor private func getCameraOrientation() -> DockAccessory.CameraOrientation { switch UIDevice.current.orientation { case .portrait: return .portrait case .portraitUpsideDown: return .portraitUpsideDown case .landscapeRight: return .landscapeRight case .landscapeLeft: return .landscapeLeft case .faceDown: return .faceDown case .faceUp: return .faceUp default: return .corrected } }
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Dec ’25
Does Image Playground is On-device + Private Cloud ?
Apple's Image Playground primarily performs image generation on-device, but can use secure Private Cloud Compute for more complex requests that require larger models. Private Cloud Compute (PCC) For more complex tasks that require greater computational power than the device can provide, Image Playground leverages Apple's Private Cloud Compute. This system extends the privacy and security of the device to the cloud: Secure Environment: PCC runs on Apple silicon servers and uses a secure enclave to protect data, ensuring requests are processed in a verified, secure environment. No Data Storage: Data is never stored or made accessible to Apple when using PCC; it is used only to fulfill the specific request. Independent Verification: Independent experts are able to inspect the code running on these servers to verify Apple's privacy promises.
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Dec ’25
Core ML .mlpackage not found in bundle despite target membership and Copy Bundle Resources
Hi everyone, I’m working on an iOS app that uses a Core ML model to run live image recognition. I’ve run into a persistent issue with the mlpackage not being turned into a swift class. This following error is in the code, and in carDetection.mlpackage, it says that model class has not been generated yet. The error in the code is as follows: What I’ve tried: Verified Target Membership is checked for carDetectionModel.mlpackage Confirmed the file is listed under Copy Bundle Resources (and removed from Compile Sources) Cleaned the build folder (Shift + Cmd + K) and rebuilt Renamed and re-added the .mlpackage file Restarted Xcode and re-added the file Logged bundle contents at runtime, but the .mlpackage still doesn’t appear The mlpackage is in Copy bundle resources, and is not in the compile sources. I just don't know why a swift class is not being generated for the mlpackage. Could someone please give me some guidance on what to do to resolve this issue? Sorry if my error is a bit naive, I'm pretty new to iOS app development
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Dec ’25
Python 3.13
Hello, Are there any plans to compile a python 3.13 version of tensorflow-metal? Just got my new Mac mini and the automatically installed version of python installed by brew is python 3.13 and while if I was in a hurry, I could manage to get python 3.12 installed and use the corresponding tensorflow-metal version but I'm not in a hurry. Many thanks, Alan
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Dec ’25