Trump administration is unhappy with Apple's partnership with Alibaba to develop 'Apple Intelligence' in China
Apple is believed to be looking for a local partner to develop 'Apple Intelligence' in China. Various names have been mentioned as possible partners, but recently there have been rumors that it is already in a partnership with the IT giant Alibaba, and it has been revealed that the Trump administration has expressed concerns about this relationship.
Apple's Alibaba AI Deal Provokes Washington's Resistance - The New York Times
Apple's AI partnership with Alibaba raises alarms in Washington - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/17/us-government-looks-into-apple-alibaba-partnership/
'Apple Intelligence' is Apple's AI function that incorporates OpenAI's ChatGPT, but access to ChatGPT is prohibited in China. For this reason, it has been reported that Apple is looking for a local partner other than OpenAI to deploy 'Apple Intelligence' in China, which is a major market. Initially, the name of Baidu, China's largest IT company, was mentioned as a candidate.
Apple is in talks with China's Baidu about 'using generative AI technology' - GIGAZINE
In addition, the company has been in discussions with Alibaba and Baichuan AI, a startup that is developing AI in China.
'Apple Intelligence' is scheduled to be officially released in October 2024, and the company is in negotiations with major companies such as Tencent and ByteDance, the operator of TikTok, to accelerate its expansion in China.
According to new information, Alibaba is likely to be Apple's partner in China. Although there has been no public announcement, Alibaba Chairman Joseph Tsai said at the World Government Summit held in Dubai in February 2025, 'Apple is making careful selections. They spoke to many Chinese companies and ultimately chose to partner with us,' suggesting that the partnership with Apple has already been decided. He also said, 'Apple wants to equip its devices with localized AI.'
However, it appears the Trump administration has concerns about this relationship.
The White House and the House of Representatives Special Committee on China have already asked Apple about its partnership with Alibaba, asking what commitments the company has made under Chinese law.
Rep. Raja Krishnamurthi, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, has described the Apple-Alibaba partnership as 'disturbing' and warned that it could lead to Apple supporting Alibaba, a company with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.
Greg Allen, director of the Wadhwani Center for AI at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said of the situation, 'The US and China are in an AI race, so the last thing they want is for US companies to help Chinese companies develop faster.'
The Trump administration is reportedly considering adding Alibaba and other Chinese companies that develop and operate AI to a list that is banned from partnering with American companies.
in Note, Posted by logc_nt