Apple trained its own AI model for China together with Alibaba

Apple has trained its own large language model specifically for the Chinese market, Reuters reports, citing three people familiar with the matter. China's Alibaba served as its partner and technical helper in building it. Against the backdrop of worsening relations between Beijing and Washington, cross-border cooperation of this kind looks unusual.

A shift in strategy

Building its own model marks a departure from Apple's previous approach in China. The company had earlier relied on off-the-shelf models from local developers, since the solutions it uses in other countries (OpenAI's ChatGPT, for example) are unavailable in the PRC. An in-house model gives Apple more control over its products in the competitive Chinese smartphone market.

The report surfaces as Apple prepares to launch Apple Intelligence in China. According to the sources, this should happen “in the coming months,” following an update to the operating system iOS. Last month Apple formally registered its on-device generative AI service with China's cyberspace regulator, thereby clearing an important barrier on the road to deployment.

A trailblazer among American companies

In China, any AI models must be registered and approved by the authorities before their public release. Having a model tailored specifically to the Chinese market helps Apple, as an American company, navigate Beijing's tricky regulatory landscape — especially amid tensions around AI development that have been mounting in recent months. According to Reuters, Apple is becoming the first American company permitted to offer its own AI model in China.

Apple did not immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment.

Source: The Verge