AsianFin -- Apple’s artificial intelligence features may debut in Mainland China as early as iOS 18.6, powered by local partners including Baidu and Alibaba.

Baidu’s Ernie large language model will reportedly serve as the core cloud-based intelligence engine for Apple’s AI services tailored to the Chinese market. To comply with domestic regulations, Alibaba will provide a content moderation system to review AI-generated outputs locally.

The collaboration was confirmed earlier this year when Alibaba’s co-founder, Joseph Tsai, acknowledged the partnership, highlighting Apple’s strategic focus on adapting its AI offerings to meet China’s unique regulatory requirements.