Apple has reportedly developed its own large language model (LLM) specifically for the Chinese market, marking a strategic shift from its previous approach of depending on third-party AI models in the country. The move, which has not been previously reported, was undertaken in collaboration with Alibaba Group, according to three sources familiar with the matter who requested anonymity because the information is sensitive.

The company’s new China-specific model is being trained with support from the Chinese tech giant. This represents a departure from Apple’s earlier strategy of relying on domestic partners to bring generative AI to its iPhones and other devices sold in China, where US models like Anthropic’s Claude and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are unavailable. In its home market, Apple pairs those US models with its own technology.

Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI tools, is expected to launch in China in the coming months following an update to its iOS operating system. A China-tailored model would give Apple greater control over the AI experience in one of its most competitive overseas markets, where it has lost ground to local rivals such as Huawei that have advanced rapidly with AI-equipped handsets.

The planned rollout is described as a unique dual-track strategy for a foreign firm in China, potentially allowing Apple to navigate steep regulatory hurdles that have limited access for many other US technology companies. It would also make Apple the first foreign company approved by Beijing to offer a proprietary AI model in China, highlighting a rare collaboration between US and Chinese tech firms amid a widening trade and diplomatic rift over AI.

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 to be incorporated into the version of Apple Intelligence that ships with compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro models in China. The service was also set to include technology from Baidu, as reported by Reuters in July.

Last week, Apple published a Chinese-language guide explaining how eligible Mac users in mainland China could connect Qwen to its Siri digital assistant and Writing Tools feature. The guide, which could help Apple compete in China’s AI PC market, has since been deleted without explanation.

Alibaba’s US-listed shares climbed about 4% in premarket trading on news of the July registration, underscoring investor expectations that the tie-up could reshape China’s AI ecosystem.

The partnership with Alibaba was first confirmed in February 2025, when Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai said at the World Governments Summit in Dubai that Apple would use the Chinese company’s AI to power its phones in China. “They talked to a number of companies in China. In the end they chose to do business with us,” Tsai said at the time. The rollout was subsequently delayed as Apple worked to adapt its features to Chinese regulations.

China remains critical to Apple’s fortunes, accounting for a significant share of its revenue. The absence of AI features on Chinese iPhones had been cited as a factor weighing on sales as consumers gravitated toward domestic brands offering built-in AI assistants.

It was not immediately clear what role Apple’s self-trained model would play alongside third-party Chinese models and how they would work together.

#Apple, #ArtificialIntelligence, #China, #Alibaba, #Technology