Apple Builds Its Own AI Model for China With Alibaba's Help, Departing From Third-Party Strategy

Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the Chinese market, according to three people familiar with the matter, marking a significant departure from the company's existing approach of relying entirely on third-party models to power AI features in China. Alibaba is supporting the effort, the sources said. The move comes after Apple Intelligence received regulatory approval in China in July 2026, with Alibaba's Qwen model confirmed as part of that rollout across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.

Apple's Greater China revenue surged 28% year over year to $20.5 billion in its fiscal second quarter, underscoring the strategic importance of the market, where the company had been unable to offer Apple Intelligence since its 2024 debut and faced pressure from local rivals including Huawei and Xiaomi. By training its own model with Alibaba's backing, Apple appears to be seeking greater control over its AI capabilities in the country rather than depending solely on Alibaba's Qwen or Baidu's technology.