Apple trains its own AI model for China market with Alibaba's support, sources say

Apple is developing a custom large language model for the Chinese market, working in collaboration with Chinese tech giant Alibaba, sources reveal. This marks a shift from Apple's previous reliance on third-party models for AI features in China. The AI model, trained with support from Alibaba, will empower Apple to exert greater control over its AI-equipped devices sold within the country.

This development follows Apple's initial strategy of partnering with domestic Chinese companies to incorporate AI capabilities into its iOS devices. However, Apple had faced challenges due to the unavailability of US models like Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's ChatGPT in the Chinese market. The partnership with Alibaba, which was only confirmed in February 2025, has been instrumental in overcoming these hurdles.

Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI tools anticipated to launch in China, will benefit from the China-specific model. This move positions Apple as the first foreign company to secure approval from Beijing to deploy a proprietary AI model, a rare collaboration between US and Chinese tech firms amid escalating trade tensions. The China-specific model will complement third-party Chinese models, such as Alibaba's Qwen, further enhancing Apple's AI offerings in the competitive Chinese market.

The regulatory process, which concluded last month, enabled the Cyberspace Administration of China to register Apple's generative AI service, paving the way for Apple Intelligence's rollout in the Chinese market. Apple's partnership with Alibaba has been viewed positively by investors, with the company's shares surging in pre-market trading following the registration announcement.