Apple and Alibaba Built a Custom AI Model for China, Report Says
A cross-border partnership between two of the world's biggest tech companies could make Apple the first US firm to offer its own approved AI model in China.
Key points
- Apple reportedly trained a custom AI model with Alibaba for the Chinese market, according to Reuters.
- Apple registered its on-device AI service with China's internet regulator last month, clearing a required government hurdle.
- The partnership would make Apple the first US company approved to offer a proprietary AI model inside China, per the Reuters report.
- Apple Intelligence could launch in China within months, following an iOS update.
Apple has quietly built a custom AI model for Chinese users, developed with Alibaba, one of China's largest technology companies. Reuters reported the arrangement, citing three unnamed sources.
It's a real departure. Until now, Apple relied on pre-existing domestic models to bring generative AI, meaning AI that can write text and respond in natural language, to iPhones sold in China. The Western models Apple uses elsewhere, OpenAI's ChatGPT among them, aren't available there.
Why does Apple need a special model for China?
Every AI model must be registered with and approved by China's government before public release. No US company has previously cleared that bar for its own proprietary model.
Apple registered its on-device AI service with the Cyberspace Administration of China last month, clearing the main regulatory hurdle for a domestic rollout of Apple Intelligence, the company's branded suite of AI features. Sources told Reuters the launch should follow an iOS update in the coming months.
The political timing matters too. Our 8 August story on China's tightening regulatory climate, "Xi Jinping's minority crackdown has nothing to do with AI, and everything to do with what AI companies ignore at their peril", showed how fraught operating in that environment has become for any foreign tech firm.
What does this mean for people in China who use iPhones?
Chinese iPhone users could soon get AI features that other markets have had since late 2024. Those include writing assistance and a smarter Siri, Apple's voice assistant. Because the model was built for the Chinese market, it'll be designed to meet local content rules requiring AI outputs to align with government guidelines.
For Apple, this isn't abstract. China is one of its largest markets, and domestic rivals like Huawei have eaten into its share. Competitive AI features could tip buying decisions.
Apple didn't respond to a request for comment from The Verge.
Common questions
Is this the same AI that Apple uses in other countries?
No. In the US and most other markets, Apple Intelligence connects to ChatGPT for some tasks. That service is blocked in China, so Apple and Alibaba built a separate model within China's regulatory system.
Should you worry about where your data goes?
Apple hasn't confirmed the deal or released technical details, so exact data arrangements aren't yet public. The company has generally emphasised that on-device processing, meaning the AI runs on the phone rather than sending data to external servers, is a privacy feature. Whether that holds fully in China isn't clear yet. Given how little is confirmed, watch what Apple actually discloses once the iOS update ships.
