Apple builds China AI model with Alibaba

A large language model specifically for the Chinese market has been built by Apple, according to Reuters, marking a departure from the tech giant’s usual approach of relying on third-party AI models to power features in the country.

The model was developed in partnership with, and with the support of, Alibaba Group, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, as the information is not yet public. Apple's move to train its own China-specific model has not previously been reported. Until now, the company has leaned on domestic partners' models to bring generative AI to iPhones sold in China, where US models such as Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's ChatGPT – which Apple pairs with its own technology elsewhere – are not available. Apple and Alibaba did not respond to requests for comment.

Apple Intelligence, the company's AI suite, is expected to launch in China in the coming months following an iOS update, Reuters' sources said. A China-specific model of its own would give Apple more control over the AI experience in its most competitive overseas market, where it has lost ground to local rivals such as Huawei on AI-equipped handsets. The dual-track approach – a proprietary model alongside partnered technology – would be a distinctive strategy for a foreign firm operating under China's tight regulatory environment, and would make Apple the first foreign company approved by Beijing to offer its own AI model in the country, a rare instance of US–China tech collaboration amid wider friction between the two countries over AI.

Regulatory hurdles cleared, but questions remain

The development follows a lengthy regulatory process that concluded last month, when the Cyberspace Administration of China registered Apple's generative AI service, clearing the way for Apple Intelligence to reach Chinese iPhones for the first time. Under that arrangement, Alibaba's Qwen model is set to be built into the version of Apple Intelligence shipping with compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro devices in China, alongside technology from Baidu, Reuters reported in July.

Last week, Apple published – and then quietly removed, without explanation – a Chinese-language guide explaining how eligible Mac users in mainland China could connect Qwen to Siri and its Writing Tools feature. Alibaba's US-listed shares rose roughly 4% in premarket trading following news of the July registration, reflecting investor expectations that the partnership could reshape China's AI landscape.

The Apple–Alibaba tie-up was first confirmed in February 2025, when Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai said at the World Governments Summit in Dubai that Apple had chosen to work with Alibaba after talks with several Chinese companies. The rollout was later delayed as Apple adapted its features to meet Chinese regulatory requirements.

China remains a critical market for Apple, accounting for a significant share of its revenue, and the absence of AI features on Chinese iPhones has been cited as a factor behind consumers shifting toward domestic brands with built-in AI assistants. It remains unclear what role Apple's self-trained model will play alongside the third-party Chinese models already part of the arrangement, or how the two will work together.

Source: Reuters