June 22, 2024 – According to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Apple is currently actively seeking partnership with a local Chinese company to launch its “Apple-branded AI,” Apple Intelligence, in China. The report mentioned that Apple has engaged in discussions with Baidu, Alibaba, and startup BaiChuan, although no agreements have been reached yet.
The report also highlighted that Apple is currently lagging behind its competitors in China, as Chinese smartphone manufacturers have recently introduced new products with AI capabilities. Furthermore, Samsung has already partnered with Baidu and Meitu to launch smartphones integrated with a range of AI functions in China.
Despite these developments, none of the aforementioned companies have publicly responded to the matter, as reported by Yicai Global.
Earlier this month, Apple’s Software Engineering Head, Craig Federighi, revealed some future development plans for Apple Intelligence during an interview with Fast Company. He stated that Apple is diligently exploring ways to introduce Apple Intelligence to the Chinese market, emphasizing, “While there’s no specific timeline, it’s definitely something we want to do.” Initially, Apple Intelligence will only support American English, leaving it unclear whether users in other regions will be able to access the feature.
Meanwhile, regulatory issues have emerged that could potentially hinder the roll-out of Apple Intelligence in certain markets. Apple announced this week that due to “regulatory concerns,” EU users will be temporarily unable to access Apple Intelligence, along with iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay screen sharing, when iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia are released this fall. In a statement to the Financial Times, Apple attributed this decision to compliance issues related to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), indicating that these features cannot be offered to EU users this year.