When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
Apple didnt have much choice about finding a Chinese partner to get its AI tools approved by regulators.
However, Alibaba isn’t the expected partner, according to the report.
The company reportedly considered offerings from other Chinese AI developers, including e-commerce giant Tencent and TikTok owner ByteDance.
Apple even considered teaming up with DeepSeek before its explosive debut in the U.S.
Ultimately, Alibaba emerged as Apple’s choice for a few reasons, according to the report.
By far, the biggest is that Alibaba has access to a staggering amount of data on Chinese consumers.
Beyond the regulatory demands, Alibaba could also help Apple stand out from its Chinese competitors.
iPhone Alibaba
Alibaba’s involvement might speed up the approval process for AI features with Chinese regulators.
Apple has long been known for tightly controlling its ecosystem.
