China has approved Apple’s generative AI service, Apple Intelligence, for rollout on iPhones in the country. The registration with the Cyberspace Administration of China clears a key hurdle, as Beijing requires all large language models to be registered before public release.
Apple Intelligence will integrate AI models from Chinese tech giants Baidu and Alibaba, according to a source familiar with the matter. Alibaba confirmed its Qwen model will be used across Apple’s iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, while Baidu is developing features for Chinese iPhone users.
The approval comes as Apple reported a 24.4% year-on-year increase in China shipments in the second quarter, signaling strong demand. Regulators did not provide a specific launch date, but the move is expected to boost Apple’s competitiveness against local rivals like Huawei.
Separately, the regulator also approved ZTE’s Nubia-Doubao smartphone, an AI-focused device developed with ByteDance.
Article and image source: pekingpress.com
