Apple Quietly Built Its Own AI Model for China

Apple Quietly Built Its Own AI Model for China — With Alibaba's Help

Reuters reports exclusively that Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the Chinese market, developed with support from Alibaba Group. The move breaks with Apple's strategy of relying on third-party models in China and could make it the first foreign company cleared by Beijing to offer a proprietary AI model — with Apple Intelligence expected to reach Chinese iPhones in the coming months.

Key Takeaways

Reuters reports exclusively that Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the Chinese market, developed with support from Alibaba Group.
The move breaks with Apple's strategy of relying on third-party models in China and could make it the first foreign company cleared by Beijing to offer a proprietary AI model — with Apple Intelligence expected to reach Chinese iPhones in the coming months.

AI synthesis3 sources6

Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the China market, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters — a departure from the iPhone maker's strategy of relying on third-party models to power AI features in the country.

The model was developed in partnership with Alibaba Group and trained with the Chinese tech giant's support, the sources said, declining to be named because the information is sensitive and not public. Neither Apple nor Alibaba responded to requests for comment.

Apple Intelligence, Apple's suite of AI tools, is expected to launch in China in the coming months after an update to iOS, the sources said. A China-tailored model of its own would give Apple greater control over the AI experience in its most competitive overseas market, where it has lost ground to local rivals such as Huawei that have raced ahead with AI-equipped handsets.

The rollout represents a dual-track strategy unique among foreign firms in China: Apple would combine its own proprietary technology with locally approved third-party models. Under an arrangement that concluded last month, China's Cyberspace Administration registered Apple's generative AI service, clearing the way for Apple Intelligence to reach Chinese iPhones. Alibaba's Qwen model is to be incorporated into the Chinese version of Apple Intelligence, alongside technology from Baidu, Reuters reported in July.

If the plan is completed, Apple would become the first foreign company approved by Beijing to offer a proprietary AI model in China — a rare collaboration between US and Chinese tech companies amid a widening trade and diplomatic rift over AI.

Last week, Apple published a Chinese-language guide explaining how eligible Mac users in mainland China could connect Qwen to Siri and its Writing Tools feature — and then deleted the page without explanation.