Apple AI tools come to China after 2-year delay

Apple began on Wednesday a long-delayed trial rollout of in-house artificial intelligence tools for Chinese users, playing catch-up to homegrown smartphone makers in a major market for the US giant.

The on-device features dubbed “Apple Intelligence” were first released in the US and other countries in autumn 2024, marking the firm’s first major push into generative AI.

But strict Chinese regulatory requirements for the fast-evolving technology have held back its launch there – as well as the fact that models from Google and OpenAI, which Apple has used elsewhere to boost its own AI capabilities, are not available in the country.

Apple, which has largely stayed out of the global AI investment frenzy, announced it will work with a Chinese partner – Alibaba’s Qwen – to integrate more powerful AI features into devices alongside its own basic AI offerings.

Wednesday’s trial rollout is restricted to developers, but public access to Apple Intelligence services in China will come in December, the company said in a statement at the weekend.

The long-anticipated Chinese rollout of Apple Intelligence “fills a long-standing gap in Apple’s AI offering”, said Ivan Lam, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.

However, it does not necessarily give the Californian company “a significant advantage” in a crowded market, Lam said.

The initial release includes 18 AI features, from live translation of phone calls to tools for summarising and proofreading messages, but not the latest upgrade of iPhone assistant Siri.

‘Concession’

Chinese regulations require AI service providers to register with the country’s internet watchdog, and there are requirements to use local data centres and process data domestically.

Apple only secured regulatory approval in July, after reportedly holding talks with Chinese tech firms including Alibaba, Baidu, ByteDance and Tencent about partnerships on Apple Intelligence.

Major US AI firms, including Google, OpenAI and Anthropic, have either banned Chinese users or restricted access to their services and are unlikely to secure regulatory clearance.

Working with local partners on Apple Intelligence “signifies a structural concession by Apple regarding its pricing and defining power over the AI experience in the Chinese market”, Zhang Yi, founder of research firm iiMedia, told AFP.

Apple’s delay in introducing AI tools in China was not due to lags in research and development, but rather “compliance costs”, he said.

Despite reporting a 21 per cent increase in revenue in the Greater China region, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, for the past quarter, Apple’s new CEO John Ternus still faces significant challenges in an evolving market.

According to research firm Omdia, more than 110 million iPhones in China can support Apple Intelligence, providing a foundation for quick adoption – but competition is fierce.

“Chinese mobile phone manufacturers and internet companies are actively developing AI features and agent ecosystems,” Zhong Xiaolei, a senior analyst at Omdia, told AFP.

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