Alibaba, Baidu to power key parts of Apple's China AI services

Alibaba and Baidu are set to gain a foothold in Apple's artificial intelligence services in China, supplying model capabilities and search technology as the iPhone maker prepares to release its long-delayed features, sources familiar with the matter told China Daily.

Alibaba will provide AI model capabilities, while Baidu will support search and functions associated with Siri and Visual Intelligence, the sources said, outlining the Chinese companies' respective roles in the rollout.

The details emerged as Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook said during a visit to Shanghai on Thursday that Apple Intelligence and Alibaba's associated Qwen models had received regulatory approval.

A test version will be released later this month, with features including live translation and writing tools, Cook said. The redesigned Siri AI assistant will not be included.

Alibaba's contribution centers on the models behind text and image understanding and content generation, the sources said. Its integration plans span Apple's iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro operating systems in China.

That would allow users to access Alibaba's AI capabilities while working within Apple's software, without switching to a separate application. The broader integration plan extends beyond the initial set of features Cook outlined for this month's test release.

Baidu's work focuses on connecting its services with Apple's search, Siri and Visual Intelligence functions, the sources said. Visual Intelligence lets users seek information about objects and scenes through their devices.

Baidu's involvement in Siri-related functions is separate from the launch of the redesigned Siri AI assistant, which Cook excluded from the upcoming test release.

The division of responsibilities gives the two Chinese companies different ways into Apple's ecosystem: Alibaba through the models that underpin AI capabilities, and Baidu through search and information retrieval.

The preparations follow several regulatory steps. China's cyberspace regulator included Apple Intelligence in a July announcement of registered on-device generative AI services. Subsequent media reports said network-access permits updated on Sept 29 covered Apple Intelligence alongside Alibaba's Qwen and Tongyi models on recent iPhones.