3 weeks ago
Apple brings Alibaba's Qwen AI to Macs in China
Apple is letting people who use Mac computers in China connect to an AI service made by a Chinese company called Alibaba.
This AI service is named Qwen.
Qwen is like a smart helper that can write text, make pictures, and look at photos and documents.
It can work with Siri, the voice assistant on Apple devices.
If you ask Siri a question, Qwen can help give a more detailed answer.
It can also look at your photos and documents if you ask it to.
Apple's Writing Tools feature can also use Qwen to create text or images.
Apple is doing this because it wants to compete with other computer makers in China.
Some Chinese companies, like Lenovo, already build their own AI features into computers.
Now Apple Mac users in China can get these kinds of AI features too.
Apple published a Chinese-language guide for eligible Mac users in mainland China to connect Alibaba's Qwen AI service to Siri and Writing Tools.
Once enabled, Qwen can work with Siri to give more detailed responses to certain requests, including analysis of photos and documents.
Writing Tools can also use Qwen to create text or images from a description.
The move could help Apple compete in China's AI PC market, where it has been losing market share to domestic manufacturers like Lenovo.
Qwen is Alibaba's family of generative-AI models that can create text and images and analyse documents, photos and other material.
- Who
- Apple and Alibaba, with eligible Mac users in mainland China as the audience
- What
- Apple published a guide explaining how Mac users in mainland China can connect Alibaba's Qwen AI service to Siri and Writing Tools
- Where
- Mainland China
- When
- Not explicitly dated in the articles; the Chinese-language guide was newly updated
- Why
- To help Apple compete in China's AI PC market, where it has been losing market share to domestic manufacturers such as Lenovo that promoted locally developed AI features
Key facts
- Companies involved
- Apple (U.S.) and Alibaba (China)
- AI service
- Qwen, Alibaba's family of generative-AI models
- Apple features integrated
- Siri digital assistant and Writing Tools
- Availability
- Eligible Mac users in mainland China who opt in
- Capabilities
- Detailed answers, photo and document analysis, text and image creation
- Reason for move
- Competing in China's AI PC market amid market share losses
- Competition context
- Domestic makers like Lenovo have promoted locally developed AI features
Sources
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