Technology
Apple Intelligence Comes to China on Alibaba's Qwen, Testing November 4
Alibaba said user requests and responses will not be used to train models, with participation opt-in. The redesigned Siri announced at WWDC is not in this phase.
Alibaba announced on October 31 that its Qwen AI model will power Apple Intelligence for users in China, with testing in the iOS developer beta starting November 4 ahead of a public rollout with iOS 27.3 in December.
The system will support features across Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, with Alibaba's Qwen handling requests instead of ChatGPT, which is not available in China. Alibaba said user requests and responses will not be used to train models, with participation opt-in.
The arrangement resolves a long-running question for Apple, which has sold iPhones in China without its full AI suite while competitors raced ahead with local AI features. Chinese regulations require AI services to work with approved domestic models, making a local partner essential.
The redesigned Siri announced at WWDC is not in this phase, according to the announcement, and will follow later. For now, Chinese users get the core Apple Intelligence features powered by one of China's leading domestic models.
The partnership is also a significant win for Alibaba, whose Qwen family has become one of the most widely used open model lines in China. Success in Apple's ecosystem would strengthen Qwen's position against domestic rivals in the race to power everyday AI.
Reporting: Xinhua
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