Apple has officially secured approval to bring its new artificial intelligence features to iPhones in China. The country’s cyberspace regulator gave Apple Intelligence the green light on Wednesday, clearing a major hurdle for the company.
China requires all tech companies to register their artificial intelligence models with the government before offering them to the public. To meet these rules and add local flavour to its devices, Apple is teaming up with Chinese tech giants Baidu and Alibaba.
Alibaba confirmed its Qwen model will be built right into Apple’s software, covering iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for users in the region. A Baidu spokesperson also stated they are working with Apple to develop specific features tailored directly for Chinese iPhone owners, according to Reuters.
While there is no official launch date yet, the timing of this regulatory approval is obviously positive news for Apple. The company recently enjoyed a 24.4 percent jump in Chinese smartphone shipments during the second quarter, year-over-year. Now that the iPhone will be able to get the new AI-powered Siri, that will keep consumers locked into the Apple ecosystem.
At WWDC, Apple said, “Siri AI and the other new Apple Intelligence features will not be available in China while Apple works through regulatory requirements.” Well, now that those requirements have been met, Siri AI will soon debut in China.
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