Apple will reportedly seek local AI partners in China to launch AI features
Apple unveiled a slew of new artificial intelligence (AI) features coming to its iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices at the recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024. These AI features will be powered by the Cupertino-based tech giant’s in-house AI model called Apple Intelligence and OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT. However, a report highlights that neither AI model has received approval from the Chinese government and that the company will have to seek out local AI providers if it wants to introduce these features in the region.
Apple exploring local AI partners in China
According to a report According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple has already begun talks to find a suitable local AI partner in China to power its generative AI features. Citing anonymous people familiar with the matter, the report claimed that the tech giant is currently in talks with China’s search engine giant Baidu, e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and Beitou-based startup Baichuan AI.
The decision to choose a local AI partner was reportedly made to avoid regulatory conflicts with the Chinese government. All AI models operating in the country must first seek government approval. This rule applies to any large language model trained on databases of text, images and videos. The screening process is said to filter out any potential chatbots that could influence public opinion.
The report reveals that 117 different generative AI products have been approved by Chinese regulators as of March 2024, but none of them were developed outside of China. The chances of Apple Intelligence making it through the approval process are therefore considered slim.
One example of this is Samsung, which introduced Galaxy AI, its suite of AI features for smartphones, with the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. Some of the notable features include Google’s Circle to Search, Live Translate, Generative Edit for photos, AI Interpreter, and more. While these AI features are powered by Samsung’s own AI model and Google’s Gemini AI in the rest of the world, they are not available in China.
According to the publication, Samsung worked with Baidu to power features such as Circle to Search, text summarization and other text-based functions. It also worked with image editing platform Meitu for AI photo editing features.
Apple is already seen as a late entrant in the AI race. While the company is now rushing to pick an AI partner in China to ensure timely release of the features like the rest of the world, it also has to compete with companies like Oppo and Huawei, which have already started delivering AI features to their users.
