[Reportedly, Apple Moved Away from Pure “Borrowed Strength” and Partnered with Alibaba to Train a Large Model Exclusively for the Chinese Market]

Published: Aug 14, 2026 15:09

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Reuters, citing three people familiar with the matter, reported that Apple (AAPL.O) has trained a large language model specifically for the Chinese market, a move that differs from its previous strategy of relying mainly on third-party models to power AI features in China. The people said the AI model was developed by Apple in collaboration with Alibaba and trained with the latter's support. The news that Apple has trained a China-specific AI model had never been reported before. Previously, Apple preferred to rely on models provided by local Chinese partners to bring generative AI features to iPhones and other devices sold in China. Neither Apple nor Alibaba responded to requests for comment. The people familiar with the matter said Apple Intelligence, Apple’s suite of AI tools, is expected to launch in China in the coming months after an update to the iOS operating system.

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