Apple Intelligence: Keep waiting for China

Depending on the count and quarter, China is the second or third most important market to the United States. Nevertheless, the group has so far not been able to bring its in-house AI system Apple Intelligence to the Middle Kingdom. However, the idea was not abandoned: According to a new report, negotiations with large Chinese Internet companies continue.

Problems with regulation

Apple cannot bring Apple Intelligence into the People’s Republic with its own AI models, including additional chatt for chatt, because the local internet regulator does not allow this. Instead, the iPhone manufacturer is forced to look for local partners. It was finally said that this could work until summer, September has now been reached. As the Financial news agency Bloomberg On Sunday, the attempts on the part of Apple continue.

The basic idea is obviously to use Alibaba as a kind of “censorship machine” that controls the OUTPUT of Apple’s on-device models. For example, the government in Beijing does not want the AI ​​information about Massacre on the place of heavenly peace spat out in 1989 or expressly comments on the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. Finally, in a second stage, Baidu should be a kind of replacement for the Chatgpt from Openaai, which is not officially approved in China, and Google also replace the visual intelligence function.

Considers from Beijing and Washington

According to Bloomberg, however, an activation failed as part of an iOS-18 update in the middle of the year. So the Cyber ​​authority China According to Bloomberg information, the brakes have occurred, and there are also “concerns” on the part of the United States. Apple does not give up. “The company still has teams who are working hard to bring Apple Intelligence to China.” The country is a too big market to ignore it. Customers could switch to other devices that already have their own AI functions.

According to the report, it is now planned to unlock the function in China before the end of the year, possibly with iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2. Another delay is also conceivable. After all: Tests with Apple employees in China are already going to run. There is still a collaboration with Alibaba and other AI providers in the country. The topic is considered an important sales argument for the iPhone 17, which is to be shown on Tuesday.