Apple’s plans to bring Apple Intelligence to China have hit a significant roadblock. A high-ranking official from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has warned that foreign companies seeking to launch their own AI models in the country will face a “difficult and long process” for approval.
The CAC official says that partnering with local Chinese AI companies would lead to a “simple and straightforward approval process” for foreign device makers. This stance puts Apple in a challenging position.
Apple has been looking for the use of its own large language models (LLMs) in China. However, the company has also reportedly in discussions with Chinese tech giants such as Baidu, ByteDance, and Moonshot AI. That’s why we posted earlier this year about Apple’s AI approach in China; it should swallow pride and copy Samsung.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has made multiple visits to China in recent months, including a trip on November 27, 2024, to attend a CEO summit with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The regulatory environment in China could significantly delay the launch of Apple Intelligence in the country. JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee suggests that without a flexible approach involving multiple Chinese partnerships, the launch might be postponed until “well into the second half of 2025” or later.
Apple has declined to comment on the report.
As reported by Financial Times, seen at 9to5Mac.