Apple developed a customized artificial intelligence model for the Chinese market with support from Alibaba, Reuters reported. The partnership between the companies comes amid rising tensions between the United States and China.
The company trained the large-scale language model focused on China with support from Alibaba, according to three people familiar with the matter. The initiative represents a change from the company's previous strategy, which used Chinese domestic models to bring generative AI to its devices sold in the country. American models, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, are not available in China.
The company is preparing to launch Apple Intelligence in China in the coming months, following an update to the iOS operating system. Last month, the company registered the on-device generative AI service with the country's cyberspace regulator, clearing a major regulatory hurdle.
In China, AI models must be registered and approved by the government before public release. Its own model gives Apple an advantage as an American company operating in Beijing's strict regulatory environment, especially amid recent tensions over AI development. The partnership could make Apple the first US company approved to offer a proprietary AI model in China.
