William Gallagher
Apple CEO Tim Cook is in China to talk about creating localized Apple Intelligence LLMs, but the company faces difficult regulatory hurdles.
Cook arrived in China on Monday to discuss supply chain issues with premier Li Qiang. As well as speaking with suppliers over US/China trade tensions, Cook was reportedly also there to specifically talk about Apple Intelligence.
According to the Financial Times, a source referred to as a top Chinese technology regulator, Apple is working to navigate China's complex regulations. It obviously wants to bring Apple Intelligence to its devices sold in the country, the hurdles for any US firm to do this alone are insurmountable.
The source at the Cyberspace Administration of China said Apple would face at least a lengthy and complex approval process. But it would be a comparatively "simple and straightforward approval process" if Apple were to use AI LLMs that the Chinese government had already vetted.
Consequently Cook is said to be continuing the talks with Chinese firms that Apple has initiated over the last few months. It's said that these discussions have included talks with Chinese search engine Baidu, as well as technology groups ByteDance and Moonshot.
Apple has not commented on the discussions taking place during Cook's present visit. But Cook himself did say in October 2024 that Apple was "working hard" on Apple Intelligence's China debut.
"There is a very specific regulatory process behind this, and we need to complete this process," he continued. "We also hope to bring it to Chinese consumers as soon as possible."
Cook said this during a visit to China with Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams. So far Cook has now been to China three times in 2024, while Williams has been at least twice.
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5 Comments
To me, based on the prior AppleInsider article on this, it was pretty obvious that Apple Intelligence would never be approved in China. The speculation is it may end up as Baidu Intelligence, but no matter who ends up as the provider, it certainly won't be Apple's own LLM's powering it. It won't matter here in the West anyway. China will do as they will.
If the scenario was reversed, i.e., a major Chinese tech company trying to push Chinese AI on American users in all walks of life it would be viewed as a Trojan Horse, at best. Why should China feel any differently? Trust works both ways. Let's not act naive just because it's Apple.
"Politics" is the art of "smooth talking" and "compromise." Most often, the smooth talking gets the other party, in this case China, to fast-track Apple in moving forward in some way to get Apple Intelligence on iPhones in China. If that was impossible, Cook would obviously not be making this trip.
This is also why Cook has reached out to Trump recently, and in the distant past. I never pleases the lefties, but it's a smart business move by Cook.
In other words, Cook really is doing everything he can in the best interest of Apple and its AAPL shareholders.
Apple Intelligence will enter China eventually, but the ChatGPT-powered feature obviously will be replaced by other AI approved there or simply Chinese AI, e.g. ChatGLM by THU which is somewhat related to Apple.