Apple has revealed how the new Siri AI features will work for users in China, stating they will be powered by Alibaba’s Qwen models.

In most other markets Apple partners with Google for its Gemini models, which run on Private Cloud Compute servers or dedicated Google servers, with privacy protections that keep user interactions hidden from both companies.

Chinese law only permits the use of domestic AI, so Apple must rely on the local Qwen model instead of Gemini, and the same level of privacy is unlikely to apply.

Reuters reports that Apple published a Chinese‑language guide specific to Mac, noting that the same Qwen model will be used across iPhone, iPad and Vision Pro. The guide says users who opt in can receive more detailed Siri responses, including photo and document analysis, and that Writing Tools can generate text or images from descriptions, but Mac users must create a personal Qwen account and sign in to enable these functions. This requirement signals that privacy safeguards differ from those in other regions, raising concerns about government monitoring.