Apple Intelligence may finally launch in China with Apple’s own AI model: Report
Apple Intelligence may finally be getting ready for the China market, with a new report by Reuters stating that the Cupertino-based tech giant has trained a large language model (LLM) for its biggest market in Asia.
While Apple has relied on third-party AI providers like Google’s Gemini and OpenAI’s ChatGPT for its global Apple Intelligence features, the company is said to be working in partnership with Alibaba to develop the LLM for the China market.
The report also notes that Apple Intelligence is expected to launch in China in the coming months after “an update to its iOS operating system”. While there is no clarity on the exact release date, the report may be hinting at the upcoming iOS 27, which is set to be rolled out next month to all iPhone users.
Why is Apple building its own AI model?
Reportedly, Apple is working on training its own AI model specifically for China in order to give itself greater control over the AI experience on its phones. The company has also reportedly lost ground to local rivals in China, such as Huawei, which has even launched its own AI-powered headsets.
If Apple is successful in its endeavour, it would make it the only company approved by the Chinese government to offer its proprietary AI model in the country. Notably, Western AI companies have found it difficult to navigate the regulatory compliances needed to enter the AI market in China.
Reportedly, China’s internet watchdog, the Cyberspace Administration of China, registered Apple’s generative AI services last month, paving the way for Apple to release its AI features to Chinese users for the first time.
As per the arrangement, Alibaba’s Qwen model will be incorporated into Apple Intelligence on compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro models sold in China. Apple’s AI service is also said to use technology from Baidu.
It is not yet clear how Apple’s own China-specific model will work alongside these third-party models, or which Apple Intelligence features will be powered by Apple’s model.
Another sign of deepening ties between Apple and Alibaba came last week when the tech giant published a Chinese-language guide explaining how eligible Mac users in mainland China could connect Alibaba’s Qwen model to Siri and Writing Tools. The company, however, later deleted the guide without giving an explanation.
Apple had earlier confirmed the partnership with Alibaba for running its Apple Intelligence features at the World Governments Summit in Dubai last year.
Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai, while speaking at the time, said, “They talked to a number of companies in China. In the end they chose to do business with us.”
