Apple Deepens China AI Push with Proprietary Model

According to three sources, Apple has developed its own large language model specifically for China, collaborating with tech giant Alibaba on its training.

If confirmed, the move would mark a significant development in Apple’s AI strategy in China, where the company has partnered with local technology companies to bring Apple Intelligence to the market.

Apple Intelligence is expected to launch in China in the coming months, although the company has not announced an official release date.

Apple has already cleared an important regulatory hurdle. China’s cyberspace regulator registered its on-device generative AI service in July, paving the way for its rollout on iPhones in the country. Apple Intelligence will incorporate capabilities from models developed by Alibaba and Baidu.

Alibaba has confirmed that its Qwen model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence across iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS for users in China, providing capabilities including text and image understanding and generation. Baidu has also confirmed that it is working with Apple to develop Apple Intelligence features for Chinese users.

A proprietary model could give Apple greater control over the user experience and help it compete in one of its most important foreign markets, where domestic rivals such as Huawei have moved rapidly to integrate AI into their devices. Apple’s iPhone shipments in China, however, rose 24.4% year-on-year in the second quarter.

It is not yet clear what role Apple’s reported new model would play alongside the technologies supplied by its Chinese partners.

(Reuters, mja)