Additional reports have emerged following Alibaba’s announcement of a collaboration with Apple to provide AI models for Apple Intelligence in China, in compliance with regulatory requirements that Apple must partner with local companies.
The workings of Apple Intelligence in China involve not only Alibaba but also a collaboration with Baidu, with separate functional divisions. Alibaba’s AI model operates at the device level, designed to meet the requirements set by the Chinese government, with Alibaba able to update the model as needed.
As this AI model runs on devices, users must update the model. Apple has a system in place to check if the model running is the latest version, and if not, Apple Intelligence will cease operations until the latest model is updated. All of this operates in the background, so users may not even notice.
On the other hand, Baidu’s AI will be used for functions requiring connectivity with external services, such as ChatGPT or Visual Intelligence, using AI from Google and OpenAI, respectively, which are complex commands requiring server-side processing.
In addition, server-level processing, referred to by Apple as Private Cloud Compute, is employed to protect user privacy. Apple will utilize servers managed by GCBD in China, the same company that oversees iCloud in China.
It is expected that Apple will fully launch Apple Intelligence in China by May, with iOS 18.4 likely to be updated during that time.
Source: Bloomberg
TLDR: Alibaba and Apple collaborate on AI models for Apple Intelligence in China, with Alibaba’s model running on-device and subject to government regulations. Baidu’s AI is used for functions requiring external connectivity, while server-level processing is managed by GCBD in China to safeguard user privacy. Apple is expected to fully launch Apple Intelligence in China by May.
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