The Chinese government has approved the release of Apple's artificial intelligence (AI) service "Apple Intelligence" in China.
Reuters reported on the 15th (local time) that the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) included Apple's Generative AI alongside products from domestic corporations such as Huawei and Xiaomi on a list of newly approved operators.
The approval follows a lengthy review process since Apple Intelligence was first announced in 2024. Due to China's restrictions on foreign AI tools, Apple was unable to launch Apple Intelligence in China for two years.
Apple Intelligence is based on Google Gemini, but the version distributed in the Chinese market links with Alibaba's AI model Qwen. In a statement to Reuters, Alibaba said that Qwen will be integrated into Apple Intelligence across Apple's major operating systems in China, including iPhone (iOS), iPad (iPadOS), Mac (macOS), and Vision Pro (visionOS). Users will access Qwen's text and image processing and generation features within Apple's own interface without opening a separate application (app).
Baidu's AI model will also be integrated into Apple Intelligence. Citing sources, Reuters reported, "The version of Apple Intelligence for the Chinese market will integrate features from AI models developed by Baidu and Alibaba." A Baidu Spokesperson told Reuters, "Apple is working with Baidu to develop Apple Intelligence features for iPhone users in China." The specific roles were not detailed.
Bloomberg analyzed that it "will provide momentum to Apple, which is showing a remarkable recovery in China, helping it narrow the gap with local leader Huawei."