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Apple trains its own AI model for the Chinese market with help from Alibaba

Apple shifts its strategy by training its own large language model specifically for the Chinese market with Alibaba's assistance, becoming the first foreign company approved by the Chinese government to use its own AI model.

Reuters reports, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Apple has trained its own large language model (LLM) specifically for use in the Chinese market, with technical development support from Chinese tech giant Alibaba, to power Apple Intelligence features on devices sold in China.

This move marks a major strategic shift for Apple, which previously planned to rely solely on domestic partner AI models in China. Apple will now use its own model alongside third-party integrations such as Alibaba's Qwen and Baidu's search system in what the report calls a "dual-track strategy."

Most notably, Apple has received registration approval from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), China's internet regulatory body. This makes Apple the first foreign company approved to operate its own AI model in China—a feat that other US tech companies have yet to achieve due to strict Chinese regulations. Leading AI models like ChatGPT and Claude remain unavailable in China as well.

Reports indicate that Apple Intelligence features for the Chinese market will launch in the coming months. Having its own model allows Apple to exert greater control over the user experience on its devices, while Alibaba helps handle compliance with local Chinese regulations, such as content moderation.

China has long been a critical market for Apple, but rising competition from Chinese smartphone makers like Huawei, which continuously push their own AI features, has forced Apple to accelerate bringing Apple Intelligence to this market as quickly as possible.