infrastructure
Apple integrates Chinese Qwen model into Siri and Writing Tools in China
Apple has begun enabling the use of Alibaba's Qwen AI model within its systems in mainland China, allowing users to access AI features through Siri and Writing Tools on Mac, with plans to expand to other devices.
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VSNOn August 8, Apple published instructions enabling Mac users in mainland China to activate integration with Alibaba's Qwen AI model. This integration allows users to utilize Qwen via Siri, Writing Tools, and for tasks such as photo analysis, document processing, and text and image generation. The move indicates that Apple is leveraging a Chinese-developed AI model as part of its regional AI infrastructure, potentially to navigate regulatory restrictions on Western AI services. Alibaba has confirmed that data transmitted for this purpose will not be used for model training.
Currently, the integration is limited to Mac devices, but there are plans to extend this functionality to iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro. Alibaba has announced the release of the Qwen3.8-Max model with 2.4 trillion parameters, though the specific model used in Apple's integration has not been disclosed.
The integration signifies a strategic move by Apple to incorporate local AI models into its ecosystem in China, potentially influencing regional AI development and regulatory compliance.