Apple has reportedly trained a custom artificial intelligence model for the China market alongside domestic tech giant Alibaba, according to a Reuters report citing three unnamed people familiar with the matter.

Developing a proprietary model represents a departure from Apple's previous strategy, granting the company greater control over its products in China's competitive smartphone market. Historically, Apple has utilized domestic Chinese models for its generative AI features because the US-based models it uses elsewhere, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, are unavailable in the country.

The partnership emerges as Apple prepares to launch Apple Intelligence in China, which sources stated is expected to occur "in the coming months after an update to its iOS operating system."

Regulatory Approval: Apple officially registered its on-device generative AI service with China's cyberspace regulator last month, satisfying a major regulatory requirement that mandates government clearance prior to public release. Industry Milestone: The move would make Apple the first US company approved to offer a proprietary AI model in China.

Cross-Border Collaboration: The initiative stands as a rare joint effort between US and Chinese tech firms amid escalating geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge.