Key facts
- Apple has released a guide for Mac users in mainland China to connect to Alibaba's Qwen AI service.
- The integration allows users to leverage Qwen for more detailed responses via Siri and for text/image creation through Writing Tools.
- This feature is available on Macs running macOS 26.6 or later, requiring users to opt-in and sign in to a Qwen account.
- Alibaba is restricted from using user data for model training or improvement.
- The move aims to enhance Apple's competitiveness in China's AI PC market, where it faces strong competition from Lenovo and Huawei.
Apple has published a guide for eligible Mac users in mainland China, allowing them to connect to Alibaba's Qwen artificial-intelligence service. This integration will enhance Apple's Siri digital assistant and Writing Tools feature, enabling more detailed responses, photo and document analysis, and text or image creation from descriptions.
The arrangement is specifically for Macs running macOS 26.6 or later, requiring users to opt-in and sign in to a Qwen account. Alibaba has stated that it cannot use user materials to train or improve its AI models.
This move comes as Apple faces increasing competition in China's AI PC market. In the first quarter, Mac shipments in mainland China fell by 9% to approximately 800,000 units, giving Apple a 9% market share. This lags behind domestic manufacturers like Lenovo, which holds 31%, and Huawei, with 16% market share.
Lenovo has centered its AI PC strategy around its Tianxi personal AI agent, while Huawei is integrating AI functions across its HarmonyOS ecosystem. By linking Qwen to its built-in software, Apple aims to offer advanced content creation capabilities while maintaining control of the Mac interface and complying with local regulations.
For Alibaba, this integration offers a broader reach for its Qwen models beyond its own applications and cloud services. Alibaba has indicated that Qwen will be incorporated into Apple Intelligence across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro software in China, although the current guide specifically covers Mac functionality. Alibaba recently launched its most capable model to date, Qwen3.8-Max, featuring 2.4 trillion parameters, though the specific Qwen model powering the Mac extension is not identified in Apple's guide.