Apple has trained a large language model specifically for the China market, marking a departure from its strategy of relying on third-party models to power AI features in the region, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.

The model was developed in collaboration with Alibaba Group, trained with the support of the Chinese tech giant. Apple and Alibaba did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the news.

The move gives Apple greater control over the AI experience in its most competitive overseas market, where it has lost ground to local rivals such as Huawei, which lead with devices equipped with AI assistants.

The move is part of a unique dual strategy in deploying AI for a foreign company in China, allowing Apple to navigate the strict regulatory barriers that have limited access for other U.S. companies.

It would be the first foreign company approved by Beijing to offer a proprietary AI model in China, a momentous milestone given the tense trade relationship between the United States and China in the technological field.