A partnership between Apple and Alibaba was confirmed on Thursday when Joseph Chung-Hsin Tsai, chairperson of Alibaba, made the announcement at the recently concluded World Governments Summit 2025 in Dubai. The collaboration aims to enhance Apple’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities in China, with Alibaba set to provide its AI models and infrastructure to support new features specifically designed for Apple’s Chinese customer base. The initiative is awaiting regulatory approval, with further details yet to be disclosed.
Alibaba Chairperson Affirms Collaboration with Apple
A report from Reuters highlighted Tsai’s confirmation regarding the partnership, stating, “They talked to a number of companies in China. In the end, they chose to do business with us. They want to use our AI to power their phones. We feel extremely honoured to do business with a great company like Apple.” This acknowledgment reflects Apple’s strategic choice among various potential collaborators.
Taiwanese billionaire Tsai also revealed that Apple had explored partnerships with other tech firms in China, including Tencent, ByteDance (the parent company of TikTok), Baidu, and DeepSeek, but did not secure agreements with any of them. Reports indicated that Apple found DeepSeek lacking in the required workforce and expertise to adequately support its extensive user base in the region.
Additionally, the collaboration between Apple and Alibaba has reportedly led to the development of several AI features, which have been submitted for regulatory approval in China. Given China’s stringent oversight, Apple has been unable to roll out its AI functions until the necessary approvals are granted, and no non-Chinese company has yet received such clearance.
Apple’s decision to partner with Alibaba is also linked to the latter’s access to vast user data, which includes insights on shopping and payment behaviors. This information is expected to help Apple create more tailored AI features and services for its consumers in the Chinese market.
