Apple Partners with Alibaba and Baidu to Launch AI in China

Apple Partners with Alibaba and Baidu for Its AI in China

Apple, the tech giant known for its iPhones, is set to make a significant entry into the Chinese market with its generative artificial intelligence offering. This initiative marks a crucial step for Apple, which aims to strengthen its presence in the AI sector in China.

On Wednesday, Reuters revealed that the Cyberspace Administration of China, which regulates internet content in the country, has given its approval to Apple. This endorsement is the result of a strategic agreement with Alibaba, which will allow the integration of Alibaba's Qwen AI model into Apple's operating systems, such as iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.

On the same day, a representative from Baidu confirmed to TechCrunch that the company is also collaborating with Apple. This partnership aims to develop Apple Intelligence features specifically for users in China, a key market for both companies.

The agreement with Alibaba, which has been in the works since last year, is a significant advancement for Apple. Indeed, the Chinese market is crucial for the American giant, which recorded sales of $20.5 billion in mainland China in the second quarter, representing a 28% increase compared to the previous year. Additionally, Apple has recently regained its position as the number two smartphone vendor in the Chinese market, aided by promotions during a shopping festival.

As for Baidu, discussions about a partnership with Apple had already taken place, but technical difficulties had delayed the adaptation of Apple's models for the Chinese audience. Apple is also considering collaborations with other Chinese companies like DeepSeek and ByteDance to expand its capabilities.

The lack of approval from Chinese regulators had previously hindered the deployment of Apple Intelligence features, which were launched in 2024 in the Chinese market. However, this obstacle now seems to have been cleared, paving the way for smoother integration.

Alibaba confirmed these developments to CNBC, specifying that its Qwen models will be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences. Although the exact timeline for these integrations has not yet been defined, Alibaba indicated that the AI capabilities will include text and image understanding and generation.

This update was published on Thursday, July 16, including Baidu's official statement regarding its collaboration with Apple.