Apple partners with Alibaba and Baidu to launch AI in China
China has officially approved Apple Intelligence for use on iPhones, ending a two-year delay caused by regulatory hurdles and geopolitical tensions. The Cyberspace Administration of China registered the AI suite, allowing Apple to finally deploy generative AI features in the country, though only on iPhones for now. Apple Intelligence in China will rely on Alibaba’s Qwen model and Baidu’s AI technology, with Qwen handling text, image understanding, and content generation across Apple’s operating systems. The approval helps Apple catch up with Chinese competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi, which have already integrated AI deeply into their devices. A launch date is still pending, and support for iPads, Macs, and Vision Pro remains unapproved.