Key facts
- Apple Intelligence has been approved for launch in China by the Cyberspace Administration of China.
- The service will integrate Alibaba's Qwen AI model into Apple's operating systems.
Apple's generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence, has received approval from China's Cyberspace Administration of China. The service will integrate Alibaba's Qwen AI model and feature collaborations with Baidu, marking a significant step for Apple's AI strategy in the key Chinese market.

The approval and integration of Apple Intelligence with local Chinese AI models is crucial for Apple's continued growth in a key market, allowing it to compete more effectively in the rapidly evolving AI landscape within China.
Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker's generative AI offering, is set to launch in China following approval from the Cyberspace Administration of China. This approval comes after Apple struck a deal to integrate Alibaba's Qwen AI model into its operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.
Baidu also confirmed its collaboration with Apple on developing features for Chinese users of Apple Intelligence. The partnership with Alibaba is a significant move for Apple's AI ambitions in China, a market where it generated $20.5 billion in sales in the second quarter, marking a 28% increase from the previous year. Apple recently regained its second-place position in China's smartphone market.
Reports of a Baidu partnership had circulated previously, alongside speculation that Apple was exploring integrations with DeepSeek and ByteDance. The lack of regulatory approval had previously delayed the rollout of Apple Intelligence features in China. Alibaba confirmed that its Qwen models would be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences, enabling capabilities such as text and image understanding and generation, though a specific timeframe was not provided.
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