Apple Intelligence has been approved to launch in China in collaboration with Alibaba and Baidu

Apple Intelligence, the iPhone company’s generative AI offering, is coming to China.

On Wednesday, Reuters I mentioned China’s internet content regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, has approved Apple’s AI services in the country on the back of a deal to integrate Alibaba’s Qwen AI model into Apple’s operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS and VisionOS.

On Wednesday evening, a Baidu spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that it is also working with Apple on developing Apple Intelligence features for Chinese users.

Alibaba deal, that was Rumored to be in the works Last year marked a significant step for Apple’s AI ambitions in a key market. In the second quarter, Apple achieved sales of $20.5 billion in Greater China. up to 28% From the previous year. Apple also recently It regained its No. 2 position In China’s smartphone market after the recent shopping festival offered discounts on the iPhone lineup.

A Baidu partnership has also been rumored, however Reports at the time He claimed that Apple was having problems adapting its models for Chinese customers. Apple is also said to be exploring integrations with DeepSeek and ByteDance.

Lack of approval from Chinese regulators has delayed Apple Intelligence features, which debut in 2024, in the Chinese market.

Alibaba earlier certain Company News told CNBC in a statement, saying its Qwen models will be “integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences,” though it did not provide a time frame. It also said the integrations will include AI capabilities such as “understanding and creating text and images.”

This article was updated on Thursday, July 16 to add Baidu’s statement.