Apple Intelligence & AI
You MUST use this skill for ANY Apple Intelligence or Foundation Models work.
When to Use
Use this router when:
- Implementing Apple Intelligence features
- Using Foundation Models
- Working with LanguageModelSession
- Generating structured output with @Generable
- Debugging AI generation issues
- iOS 26 on-device AI
AI Approach Triage
First, determine which kind of AI the developer needs:
| Developer Intent | Route To |
|---|---|
| On-device text generation (Apple Intelligence) | Stay here → Foundation Models skills |
| Custom ML model deployment (PyTorch, TensorFlow) | See skills/ios-ml.md → CoreML conversion, compression |
| Computer vision (image analysis, OCR, segmentation) | /skill axiom-vision → Vision framework |
| Cloud API integration (OpenAI, generic HTTP) | /skill axiom-networking → URLSession patterns |
| Cloud Claude integration (Anthropic SDK, Messages API, Claude Agent SDK) | See claude-api skill (external) → includes automated Opus 4.6 → 4.7 migration |
| System AI features (Writing Tools, Genmoji) | No custom code needed — these are system-provided |
Key boundary: Foundation Models vs ML (custom models)
- Foundation Models = Apple's on-device LLM framework (LanguageModelSession, @Generable)
- ML = Custom model deployment (CoreML conversion, quantization, MLTensor, speech-to-text)
- If developer says "run my own model" → skills/ios-ml.md. If "use Apple Intelligence" → stay here.
Cross-Domain Routing
Foundation Models + concurrency (session blocking main thread, UI freezes):
- Foundation Models sessions are async — blocking likely means missing
awaitor running on @MainActor - Fix here first using async session patterns in foundation-models skill
- If concurrency issue is broader than Foundation Models → also invoke axiom-concurrency
Foundation Models + data (@Generable decoding errors, structured output issues):
- @Generable output problems are Foundation Models-specific, NOT generic Codable issues
- Stay here → foundation-models-diag handles structured output debugging
- If developer also has general Codable/serialization questions → also invoke axiom-data
Routing Logic
Foundation Models Work
Implementation patterns → skills/foundation-models.md
- LanguageModelSession basics
- @Generable structured output
- Tool protocol integration
- Streaming with PartiallyGenerated
- Dynamic schemas
- 26 WWDC code examples
API reference → skills/foundation-models-ref.md
- Complete API documentation
- All @Generable examples
- Tool protocol patterns
- Streaming generation patterns
Diagnostics → skills/foundation-models-diag.md
- AI response blocked
- Generation slow
- Guardrail violations
- Context limits exceeded
- Model unavailable
Automated scanning → Launch foundation-models-auditor agent or /axiom:audit foundation-models (missing availability checks, main thread blocking, manual JSON parsing, session lifecycle issues)
Decision Tree
- Custom ML model / CoreML / PyTorch conversion? → See skills/ios-ml.md
- Computer vision / image analysis / OCR? → /skill axiom-vision
- Cloud AI API integration? → /skill axiom-networking
- Implementing Foundation Models / @Generable / Tool protocol? → foundation-models
- Need API reference / code examples? → foundation-models-ref
- Debugging AI issues (blocked, slow, guardrails)? → foundation-models-diag
- Foundation Models + UI freezing? → foundation-models (async patterns) + also invoke axiom-concurrency if needed
- Want automated Foundation Models code scan? → foundation-models-auditor (Agent)
Anti-Rationalization
| Thought | Reality |
|---|---|
| "Foundation Models is just LanguageModelSession" | Foundation Models has @Generable, Tool protocol, streaming, and guardrails. foundation-models covers all. |
| "I'll figure out the AI patterns as I go" | AI APIs have specific error handling and fallback requirements. foundation-models prevents runtime failures. |
| "I've used LLMs before, this is similar" | Apple's on-device models have unique constraints (guardrails, context limits). foundation-models is Apple-specific. |
| "I know the Anthropic SDK already" | Opus 4.7 removed temperature, top_p, top_k, and prefill from the Messages API. Code that worked on 4.6 returns HTTP 400 at runtime. Read claude-api (external) before changing model IDs. |
External Resources
Cloud Claude integration (claude-api skill, ships outside Axiom). Opus 4.7 removed temperature, top_p, top_k, and prefill from the Messages API — code that built successfully on 4.6 returns HTTP 400 at runtime, not compile time. The claude-api skill automates the migration (model ID swap, sampling-param removal, prefill replacement) and enforces prompt caching from day one. Skipping it costs an afternoon of production debugging when the first 400s arrive.
Apple's on-device Foundation Models and Anthropic's cloud Claude are unrelated stacks; use both in parallel when an app needs both, and treat claude-api as mandatory reading before any Claude model-ID change ships.
Critical Patterns
foundation-models:
- LanguageModelSession setup
- @Generable for structured output
- Tool protocol for function calling
- Streaming generation
- Dynamic schema evolution
foundation-models-diag:
- Blocked response handling
- Performance optimization
- Guardrail violations
- Context management
Example Invocations
User: "How do I use Apple Intelligence to generate structured data?" → Read: skills/foundation-models.md
User: "My AI generation is being blocked" → Read: skills/foundation-models-diag.md
User: "Show me @Generable examples" → Read: skills/foundation-models-ref.md
User: "Implement streaming AI generation" → Read: skills/foundation-models.md
User: "I want to add AI to my app" → First ask: Apple Intelligence (Foundation Models) or custom ML model? Route accordingly.
User: "My Foundation Models session is blocking the UI" → Read: skills/foundation-models.md (async patterns) + also invoke axiom-concurrency if needed
User: "Review my Foundation Models code for issues" → Invoke: foundation-models-auditor agent
User: "I want to run my PyTorch model on device" → Read: skills/ios-ml.md (CoreML conversion, not Foundation Models)