An Apple store in Shanghai Photo: VCG

Apple Intelligence has completed registration for providing mobile generative artificial intelligence (AI) services in China, according to a notice issued by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Wednesday. This represents a major step for Apple to officially launch its AI services in the Chinese market, according to industry experts.

In a notice on its official WeChat account, the CAC said that to promote the innovative development and standardized application of generative AI services, the cyberspace authorities, together with relevant departments, have been carrying out the registration of generative AI services in an orderly manner in accordance with the Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services.

It announced the registration information of seven newly added generative AI services on mobile devices, including Apple Intelligence. According to the notice, "Apple Intelligence," submitted by Apple Technology Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., was officially registered on July 8, with the service designed for use on Apple devices.

The seven newly added generative AI services also include AI large models from various smartphone companies, including Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi and Samsung, according to the CAC notice.  

Under the Interim Measures for the Management of Generative AI Services, which took effect on the same day and became the country's first dedicated regulation for generative AI services, filing is required before AI services can be made available to the public. 

This could mean the completion of the registration represents a major step forward in Apple's efforts to bring its AI services to Chinese users, Liu Dingding, a tech analyst, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

However, the completion of registration does not mean an immediate launch, and the timeline for Apple Intelligence's official rollout in China remains unknown, according to Liu.

Notably, Alibaba will cooperate with Apple Intelligence on certain AI services in China, according to an Alibaba spokesperson.

"Qwen will be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences within iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for users in China. This gives users the ability to access Qwen model's capabilities, like text and image understanding and generation, without needing to jump between tools," the spokesperson told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Chinese netizens had mixed reactions to the development. On Weibo, while some welcomed the potential launch of Apple Intelligence in the Chinese market, others were less enthusiastic, comparing it with AI features already available on domestic smartphones. Some users said they would consider buying a new iPhone if the AI service is officially launched.