Apple wants to bring its AI platform, Apple Intelligencein China. However, using your own servers or your OpenAI partnership will not be enough. According to a report from ReutersApple is in talks with ByteDance, owner of Tencent and TikTok, about using their AI models in iPhones sold in China.

This partnership would be similar to what Cupertino has done in the United States. When Apple’s AI isn’t enough, users can rely on OpenAI’s ChatGPT. However, in China, several foreign platforms are blocked in the country. This is why Apple is in talks with these large local Chinese companies.

So far, it appears that discussions with Tencent and ByteDance are in their early stages. If the two companies reach an agreement, Apple could see further growth in the Asian market, as the Chinese have abandoned the iPhone in favor of local brands, such as Huawei and Xiaomi.

Reuters says Apple Intelligence could be powered by ByteDance’s Doubao, Tencent’s Hynyuan or Baidu’s Ernie.

One thing is certain: Apple is working to introduce Apple Intelligence to Europe and China. During the company period Third Quarter 2024 Earnings Callthe company said it was working with European and Chinese regulators to launch Apple Intelligence in those markets.

“We work, as you can imagine, with the two regulatory bodies that you mentioned,” Tim Cook said when asked about Apple Intelligence in the EU and China. “And our goal is to move as quickly as possible, obviously, because our goal is always to bring features to everyone. We need to understand the regulatory requirements before we can commit to doing that and set a timeline for doing that, but we’re engaged very constructively on both counts.

So far the next Apple Intelligence expansion will take place in April when the company will support more languages. However, it is not clear if by then Cupertino will announce new partnerships with other LLMs, such as those from China, Google Gemini, etc.