Regulatory approval unlocks Apple Intelligence in China, Alibaba's Qwen model to power features

Chinese regulators have granted Apple a long-awaited licence to roll out its artificial intelligence service on iPhones in the country, with Alibaba Group Holding and Baidu serving as technical partners, the South China Morning Post reported. The Cyberspace Administration of China published a notice on Wednesday confirming the licence for Apple Intelligence, the AI feature used to summarise emails, draft reports, edit images and perform other tasks, according to the same outlet.

South China Morning PostChina approves Apple Intelligence for phones, with Alibaba, Baidu emerging as partners

"the AI feature used to summarise emails, draft reports, edit images and perform other tasks"

Apple's AI service was included on a list of approved providers alongside products from Huawei, The Next Web reported. The approval marks a significant step for Apple in a key market where its AI features had previously been unavailable due to regulatory hurdles.

Alibaba confirmed that its Qwen AI model will be integrated into Apple Intelligence across Apple's operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS, for users in China, according to Quartz. The announcement triggered a surge in Alibaba's stock, which rose more than 5%, as Blockonomi and Parameter reported.

BlockonomiAlibaba (BABA) Stock Surges Over 5% as China Greenlights Apple Intelligence Partnership

"Alibaba confirming its Qwen model will power the experience across Apple's operating systems"

The partnership gives Alibaba a prime spot in Apple's ecosystem, while Baidu is also named as a technical partner, though less prominently. The move comes as China tightens rules on AI services, requiring foreign firms to work with local providers.

Meanwhile, the situation remains different in the European Union, where Apple Intelligence has not yet received approval, Mashable noted. "Almost none of the features were available in the European Union and China. This has now changed , at least in China," the outlet reported, highlighting the fragmented rollout of Apple's AI features across global markets.

MashableApple Intelligence is cleared to launch in China (but not the EU yet)