Apple Offers Free AI Tools to Small Developers

Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference that developers with fewer than 2 million first-time App Store downloads can use its Foundation Models in Private Cloud Compute at no cloud API cost. The move mirrors Apple's Small Business Program, which offers lower commissions to smaller developers. The decision reflects rising AI experimentation costs across the industry. Companies like Meta and Amazon have shut down internal AI spending leaderboards, and Uber reportedly burned through its entire 2026 AI budget in just four months, signaling growing pressure for fiscal restraint around AI tools.