Apple trained its own AI model for China with help from Alibaba

Apple has reportedly trained a custom AI model for the China market alongside domestic tech giant Alibaba, a rare cross-border partnership that cuts across growing tensions between Beijing and Washington.

The China-focused large language model was developed in partnership with Alibaba and trained with the company’s support, Reuters reports, citing three unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Developing a custom model of its own marks a departure from Apple’s previous strategy in the country and would give the company more control over its products in the competitive Chinese smartphone market. Historically, Apple has used domestic Chinese models to bring generative AI to its devices sold there, as the US models it uses elsewhere — like OpenAI’s ChatGPT — aren’t available.

The report comes as Apple gears up to release Apple Intelligence in China. Sources told Reuters this should happen “in the coming months after an update to its iOS operating system.” Apple officially registered the on-device generative AI service with China’s cyberspace regulator last month, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for device rollout.

The China-focused model gives Apple a leg up as a US company navigating Beijing’s difficult regulatory landscape, particularly given escalating tensions surrounding AI development in recent months. AI models must be registered with and cleared by the government in China before public release. It would also make Apple the first US company approved to offer a proprietary AI model in China, according to Reuters.

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