Now Reading: Apple trains own AI model for China with Alibaba help
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Apple trains own AI model for China with Alibaba help
Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the China market, a departure from its earlier plan to rely only on third-party models, three sources told Reuters. Developed with Alibaba Group’s…
The Story in Brief
Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the China market, a departure from its earlier plan to rely only on third-party models, three sources told Reuters. Developed with Alibaba Group’s support, the in-house model has not been reported before. Apple Intelligence is expected to launch in China in the coming months after a regulatory greenlight last month from the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Apple plans a dual-track strategy: its proprietary model alongside Alibaba’s Qwen and technology from Baidu. The move would make Apple the first foreign company approved to offer its own AI model in China, navigating steep regulatory hurdles. Apple’s China revenue has suffered as local rivals like Huawei race ahead with AI phones, and the absence of AI features on iPhones has weighed on sales.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that American AI is neutral and free gets complicated when models parrot Chinese propaganda in Chinese-language queries, as a Nature study found. But calling it sinister censorship misses the point: these are side effects of training data, not political design. Apple’s China model raises a sharper test, will it also tilt responses to suit Beijing’s red lines? Watch how it handles a question about Xinjiang or Taiwan next year.
Sources (3): hindustantimes.com, thehindu.com, livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
