Doesn't look like Apple's going to release AST 2 or an equivalent, instead requiring users to contact Apple Support to get the pairing done.
> A System Configuration step may be required at the end of your repair. System Configuration is a postrepair software tool that completes the repair for genuine Apple parts. The repair manual will indicate if System Configuration is required. You will need to contact the Self Service Repair Store support team by chat or phone to initiate System Configuration.
Thats really interesting to have their support team run an AST2 run for you remotely. I guess its probably easier if you are doing a one off repair so you don't have to run AST locally.
As everything in this measure, the point is to make the whole procedure as useless for independent repair shops as possible. Independent repair shops desperately want these tools and that's exactly why Apple isn't giving them to you.
It’s probably cheaper than porting it to Windows, because in that case the tech press would eviscerate them for not letting Windows users repair their devices.
> A System Configuration step may be required at the end of your repair. System Configuration is a postrepair software tool that completes the repair for genuine Apple parts. The repair manual will indicate if System Configuration is required. You will need to contact the Self Service Repair Store support team by chat or phone to initiate System Configuration.
(From https://support.apple.com/self-service-repair)