Apple Inc. has developed its own large language model (LLM) specifically for the Chinese market, Reuters reports, citing sources.
According to the sources, the artificial intelligence model was developed by Apple in partnership with China’s Alibaba Group Holding and trained with the support of that company.
Until now, Apple had tended to rely on developments from its Chinese partners to integrate generative AI features into the iPhone and its other devices sold in China. American models, notably Claude from Anthropic and ChatGPT from OpenAI – which Apple uses alongside its own technologies in the US – are not available in China.
According to sources, the Apple Intelligence Platform, which brings together the company’s AI tools, is likely to be launched in China in the coming months following the release of an iOS update.
Having its own language model for China will allow Apple to better control the operation of AI features in its largest and most competitive overseas market, writes Reuters. The company is already losing ground to local competitors, who have made significant progress in releasing smartphones with similar functionality, the agency reports.