Apple is reportedly developing its own artificial intelligence model for China with help from Alibaba, giving the company a more direct way to bring Apple Intelligence features to iPhone users in the country.
Reuters reports that Apple is training a China-specific large language model with Alibaba, according to three people familiar with the work, which marks a different approach from Apple’s wider strategy of using outside AI models in other markets.
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The report says Alibaba helped Apple train the model, although neither company commented on the project. The move also reflects China’s tighter rules around generative AI services, where major foreign platforms including ChatGPT and Claude remain unavailable.
Apple Intelligence in China is taking a different path
Alibaba confirmed its partnership with Apple in February 2025, while China’s internet regulator has more recently registered Apple Intelligence for use on iPhones. Earlier reports also said Apple planned to use Alibaba’s Qwen technology alongside AI systems from Baidu.
Reuters says it remains unclear how Apple’s own model will work with those third-party systems, although the company appears to be building a localized AI setup that can meet China’s regulatory requirements.
Apple Intelligence is expected to arrive in China through an upcoming iOS update, although Apple has not announced a confirmed release date for the country.
Meanwhile, Apple plans to launch its redesigned Siri AI with iOS 27 this fall in supported regions, starting with selected English variants. Availability on iPhone and iPad in the European Union will arrive later, while Apple has yet to confirm how China fits into that wider Siri rollout.
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