Apple trains its own AI model for China market with Alibaba's support – sources

APPLE. People walk past a booth showcasing Apple's suppliers during the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, China June 22, 2026.

Florence Lo/Reuters

Sources say Apple's AI model was developed in partnership with Alibaba Group and trained with the Chinese tech giant's support, Apple and Alibaba did not respond to requests for comment.

Apple has developed a proprietary language model for the China market in collaboration with Alibaba, moving away from its previous reliance on third-party models.

This initiative aims to enhance Apple's AI capabilities in China, where it faces stiff competition from local brands like Huawei, and marks a significant regulatory achievement as Apple becomes the first foreign company to offer a proprietary AI model in the country.