An Apple Intelligence Chinese launch isn’t looking much closer, as the company continues forced talks with local companies about partnerships.
Apple reportedly wanted to use its own generative AI models in China, but that would require government approval which – it has been strongly implied – would not be forthcoming …
AI systems in China require government approval
Apple can’t just create a Chinese version of Apple Intelligence, as the government requires all AI systems to be submitted for approval – and we’ve noted before that the reason for this is obvious.
The Chinese government exerts a tight stranglehold on sources of online information within the country. Google pulled out of the country after it was forced to censor search results, and many other western platforms are blocked by the Great Firewall of China, including Facebook, X, and Wikipedia. Many search terms are also blocked when using the locally-owned Baidu search engine.
AI products of course provide another means of effectively carrying out web searches, and it’s clear the government wants to be able to control these too, hence effectively forcing foreign companies to use approved Chinese-owned models.
Government made its position clear
The Chinese government has effectively told Apple that it won’t be allowed to launch Apple Intelligence in the country unless it partners with pre-approved local companies.
A top government official has warned that an Apple Intelligence launch in China would be a “difficult and long process” unless the iPhone maker partners with a local AI company. Working with a Chinese company would instead be “simple and straightforward.”
Baidu was said to have been one of the companies selected by Apple, but the two sides were said to be clashing over both technical and privacy issues.
Baidu reportedly wants to retain data from iPhone users who make AI-powered searches, which is the polar opposite of how Apple Intelligence and Private Cloud Compute are designed.
Apple now talking to Tencent and Bytedance
Reuters reports that Apple is also in talks with two other Chinese tech giants about using their AI models.
Appl is in talks with Tencent and TikTok owner ByteDance about integrating their artificial intelligence models into iPhones sold in China, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
Little progress appears to have been made to date, however.
Apple’s discussions with Tencent and ByteDance on using their AI models are at a very early stage, said the sources, who declined to be named as the talks are not public.
We’ve argued before that while it would be nice to imagine Apple will stick to its guns on privacy, the reality is that it has no choice but to partner with local companies who apply very different standards.
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