Alibaba upgrades Tongyi Qianwen model may pave the way for Apple Intelligence to enter China – Passionategeekz –

[CNMO Technology News]On June 16, Alibaba recently released a new version of its flagship AI model Tongyi Qianwen3. This version is compatible with Apple’s MLX architecture for the first time and is considered a prelude to Apple Intelligence’s official landing in the Chinese market.

Although Apple has introduced preliminary support for Simplified Chinese in iOS 18.4, its generative AI capabilities have not yet been launched in China. Since China has strict regulatory requirements for AI services, Apple must seek local partners to implement AI functions. Earlier, it was reported that Apple had considered cooperating with ByteDance, Baidu and other companies, but ultimately chose Alibaba as a key partner for the implementation of AI.

According to Reuters, Alibaba’s upgraded Qwen3 model not only supports 119 languages ​​and dialects, but also adopts a “expert hybrid” (MoE) structure and is equipped with the so-called “hybrid reasoning capability.” The new version of the model can run on the neural engine of the Apple Silicon chip, which also means it will be compatible with iPhones and iPads that will support Apple Intelligence.

It is worth mentioning that the launch time of Qwen3 almost coincides with the promotion nodes of Apple’s AI plan. Apple CEO Cook previously said that Apple Intelligence has played a significant role in promoting the sales of iPhone 16, especially in the market where AI functions have been opened, performing better. Therefore, the implementation of Apple Intelligence in the Chinese market may further stimulate iPhone sales.

Currently, the iOS 18.6 developer beta version was released this Monday, with a system volume of 7.58GB, indicating that it is far more than just a regular fix update. Industry speculates that Apple may choose to launch Apple Intelligence service to Chinese users when the official version of iOS 18.6 is released. According to previous rumors in May, this version will become the carrier for Apple Intelligence to debut in China.

Although Apple has not officially announced it yet, combined with Alibaba’s technical preparations, system version promotion rhythm, and the gradually clear cooperation method at the regulatory level, Apple Intelligence’s pace of entering the Chinese market is getting closer.

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