Representatives from Alibaba have confirmed the company’s cooperation with Apple in integrating Apple Intelligence for the Chinese market. This collaboration is a shift from Apple’s usual business practices. According to unofficial sources, Apple plans to launch a localized version of Apple Intelligence in China by early May. Baidu, a major Chinese search engine, will also play a key role in this development.
Role of Baidu and Alibaba in AI Integration
As Bloomberg highlights, Baidu is the default search engine for Chinese Apple device users. The company will play a vital part in implementing Apple Intelligence in China, given the multi-layered nature of the AI system. Information processing will happen at various stages. On one level, data will be processed directly on Apple devices, with Alibaba’s “software layer” helping filter content that is not suitable for Chinese users according to government regulations. If any filters on a user’s device have not been updated in time when the AI system is accessed, the system will temporarily block access until the update occurs.
On another level, Apple will handle data processing through its server infrastructure, which will also require a Chinese partner. Most likely, this partner will be GCBD, which currently manages iCloud infrastructure in the country.
Finally, Apple’s AI services in China will rely on Baidu for search services and chatbots. Baidu will be specifically responsible for managing Visual Intelligence, which deals with image-based AI functions. In the U.S., similar services are powered by Google and OpenAI, with Siri relying on OpenAI for AI-driven tasks. In China, however, Apple will use its own local AI models for device-level processing, with Alibaba providing solutions for content moderation. This arrangement will involve more frequent and regular AI content moderation compared to other regions.
Localized AI for Chinese Devices
This model will only apply to Apple devices originally sold in China, notes NIX Solutions. Devices imported from other regions will not be subject to these restrictions, meaning the local AI models and content moderation solutions will not be active on imported devices. Furthermore, the rollout of Apple Intelligence in China is independent of the iOS 18.4 update, which is expected to arrive in April. This update will introduce support for the Chinese language but will be relevant only to Chinese-speaking users outside of China.
We’ll keep you updated as more integrations become available, and we will provide further details about Apple’s AI ecosystem in China as it evolves.