Qwen AI for Apple Intelligence: Leak suggests connection
Apple is working with alternative language models in China because Chinese authorities want it that way. A new feature for the Mac was briefly leaked.
Qwen is not only popular in China. It comes from Alibaba.
(Image: wutianzeri / Shutterstock.com)
Apple apparently plans to allow users in China to use alternative AI systems for the Siri voice assistant – at least on one platform. This is evident from a support document that was temporarily available online and that Reuters has seen. The idea is: Mac users should be able to use the Alibaba model Qwen for both Siri and the writing tools integrated into Apple Intelligence. The plan is apparently for Apple to keep up better in the booming “AI PC market” in the Middle Kingdom. Most recently, according to analysts, the company had to accept losses in market share for the Mac compared to Lenovo, which is heavily advertising domestic AI.
Approval from the Cyberspace Administration has been obtained
The announced function is apparently an extension of Apple Intelligence, which could be launched in China in the coming weeks. Apple is not allowed to use its own models in the country due to regulatory requirements, which are also related to local censorship, just as little as the optional ChatGPT.
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It is already known that both the e-commerce and cloud giant Alibaba with Qwen and the large search engine Baidu will become technology suppliers. In July, Apple officially received the necessary approval for Apple Intelligence with this internal structure from the responsible Cyberspace Administration in Beijing. However, Apple Intelligence has not yet been activated, and there is no official statement from the company. Instead, Alibaba confirmed the cooperation.
macOS 26.6 covered, but activation is missing
Apple's support document contained the note that Qwen usage is possible from macOS 26.6 – the operating system has been available for a long time. Users need to release an “extension” and log into their Qwen account, writes Reuters. According to Apple, Alibaba does not receive any training data from its use by Mac owners, similar to how Apple handles it with ChatGPT and OpenAI.
It is conceivable that Apple will fundamentally work with Qwen similarly to how it works with ChatGPT in other countries. Siri will have access to ChatGPT for more extensive requests. Those who want more can additionally log in and use an existing paid account. With the writing tools, you can also use ChatGPT. There is no mention yet of Siri AI, Apple's much better AI, in China. The chatbot Siri will be launched in other countries in the fall – in Europe not on iPhone and iPad.
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