Apple Intelligence: Apple is looking for partners in China

Apple wants to bring its new Apple Intelligence functions to market as quickly as possible in its – depending on how you count it – second most important market, China. The problem: the company needs local partners because otherwise it probably won’t work with the necessary AI licenses. The issue in the People’s Republic is compatibility Marathon more than sprintwrites US stock exchange broadcaster CNBC. Apple is threatening, according to the Wall Street Journal Losing to local rivalsWho have already integrated AI features into their smartphones.

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Talks with big players

Apparently the iPhone company is moving forward without fear. According to the WSJ, talks have taken place with major Chinese internet companies such as search engine Baidu (Ernie Bot) and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group. Discussions have also been held with start-ups such as Baichuan AI. However, no deal appears to be in sight yet.

The strategy that Apple is adopting in the United States – combining its own models for text and image generation, as well as partnerships with external suppliers such as OpenAI and later Google – cannot be transferred 1:1 to China. This is because government licenses are required before AI models can be trained.

Apple sees itself in a good position

According to the WSJ, regulators are reviewing the models to ensure they “do not influence public opinion in a way not approved by the government.” As of March, Beijing’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, had already approved 117 generic AI products. However, not a single one of them came from abroad. ChatGPT is also not officially approved and can only be used with a VPN.

Brussels: Apple violates new EU competition law

Apple still sees itself well positioned in China. Although it is “the most competitive market in the world,” they are very confident of their position, CFO Luca Maestri said in an interview last month. Recently, the dismal business situation for the iPhone in the Middle Kingdom had improved somewhat, although Apple also reached the discount box there. Analysts are unsure how long it will take for Apple Intelligence to arrive in China. However, the company is counting on a slow rollout anyway. This year, the system will only be able to work in US English; in the EU, Apple is proceeding cautiously due to regulatory conditions.

(B.Sc.)