Apple Intelligence Faces Complex Approval Process in China

Apple is experiencing challenges as it attempts to launch Apple Intelligence in China, with regulators cautioning that foreign companies face a "difficult and long process" for approval unless they partner with local firms, according to a new Financial Times report.

apple intelligence black
A senior official at the Cyberspace Administration of China told the FT that foreign device makers would find a "simple and straightforward approval process" if they utilize already-approved large language models (LLMs) from Chinese companies, rather than attempting to implement their own AI systems.

The regulatory situation has reportedly prompted Apple to engage in discussions with several Chinese tech companies, including search giant Baidu, ByteDance, and AI startup Moonshot, to potentially power Apple Intelligence features in devices sold in mainland China.

Apple CEO Tim Cook arrived in China on Monday to attend a CEO summit with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, in what could be an attempt by Cook to personally navigate the complex regulatory landscape. During his previous visit to Beijing, Cook acknowledged the specific regulatory requirements, stating that Apple was "working hard" to bring Apple Intelligence to Chinese consumers.

The company has been gradually rolling out Apple Intelligence features in the US and elsewhere since October, with things like Writing Tools and enhanced Siri using a combination of on-device processing and its Private Cloud Compute servers, along with OpenAI's ChatGPT for more complex queries. But if Apple can't secure approval for its own AI models in China, it may need to rely on Chinese partners' LLMs to host AI features on devices sold there.

According to JP Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee, the regulatory uncertainty could delay the launch of Apple Intelligence in China until "well into the second half of 2025" or later, unless Apple adopts a flexible approach involving multiple Chinese partnerships to expedite approval.

China represents 17% of the company's revenue but saw an 8% decline in sales over the past year. The company faces increasing competition from Huawei, which has already integrated its own AI features into its latest smartphones.

Tag: China

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...

Top Rated Comments

System603 Avatar
15 weeks ago

if they utilize already-approved large language models (LLMs) from Chinese companies, rather than attempting to implement their own AI systems
Goodbye to Tiananmen Square massacre and Republic of China answers then I guess ?

In other countries and entities like the EU, the focus tends to be on being mindful of sensitive/possibly harmful topics such as self-harm, terrorism (advice), and similar issues.

Here, however, I'd guess the emphasis would be more on avoiding certain subjects:

* don’t mention that one country
* Tang Ping
* that one square kerfuffle
* having fewer or no children
* that one minority situation
* and —by the way— Winnie the Pooh is just a book character and nothing more, o k a y?
*holds finger above -100 social credit button*



edit: Revised to emphasize the event rather than the square itself, based on cyanite's insightful comment ?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toto75 Avatar
15 weeks ago

China's model of the government approving each AI is sensible imo. AI is one day going to be very powerful, very dangerous, when it reaches general intelligence the world will change forever.
Yeah sure, the CCP is definitely concerned about your safety.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vtuberalpha Avatar
15 weeks ago
Yeah guys, surely Apple will pull out of China after this, right guys? /s
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
15 weeks ago

Might be an opportune time to purchase a 16 if your on the fence. I don't see Apple eating the 10% that is coming on Jan 21st.
By fence do you mean the Great Wall?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toto75 Avatar
15 weeks ago
It's only overreach if the demand comes from the EU.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SoldOnApple Avatar
15 weeks ago
China's model of the government approving each AI is sensible imo. AI is one day going to be very powerful, very dangerous, when it reaches general intelligence the world will change forever.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)