iOS 18 Rumor: Apple and Baidu 'Yet to Reach' Generative AI Partnership

Apple has yet to reach a generative AI partnership with Chinese company Baidu, according to a China Daily report citing sources familiar with the matter. Some earlier reports said the two companies had finalized an agreement following discussions. It is possible that the negotiations are still ongoing, but this is not confirmed.

iOS 18 Mock Siri Feature Baubles
If the partnership does happen, Baidu would likely power some of iOS 18's rumored generative AI features in China only. Generative AI models must receive approval from the Chinese government, and Baidu's Ernie chatbot is permitted in the country. Google's Gemini and OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbots are not available in China.

Apple has reportedly held similar generative AI partnership discussions with Google and OpenAI for the U.S. market, and likely other countries.

Apple has repeatedly teased that it has generative AI announcements to share later this year, and this likely refers to iOS 18. The software update is rumored to include new generative AI features for a range of iPhone features and apps, including Siri, Spotlight, Apple Music, Health, Messages, Numbers, Pages, Keynote, Shortcuts, and more.

iOS 18 will be previewed at Apple's developers conference WWDC in June, so we're just a few months away from learning about the company's plans.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

20th Anniversary iPhone Will Be Mostly Glass With All-Screen Design

Monday May 12, 2025 2:52 am PDT by
Apple will mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone X in 2027 by launching a mostly glass, curved iPhone without any cutouts in the display, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Writing in his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman said the all-screen device will arrive later in 2027, suggesting a fall release. The model will be preceded by Apple's first foldable iPhone, claims the reporter....

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
15 months ago

It would be nice if Apple does a country-specific AI partnership approach like this. That way users in countries whose language isn't English don't have to miss out on AI features.
It's a shame though that this is even necessary because they want to censor information.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lenningj Avatar
15 months ago
Consumer AI fatigue...
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Someyoungguy Avatar
15 months ago

When one of the reasons is also the fear of the "spread misinformation beneficial to Beijing" because U.S. lawmakers see TikTok as a news platform, then that is censorship.

https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-bill-support-congress-china-data-f1ec5b720bb68884c6423c62f314dcff

Some lawmakers and critics of TikTok have argued the Chinese government could force the company to share data on American users. TikTok says it has never done that and wouldn’t do so if asked. The U.S. government also hasn’t provided evidence of that happening.

Critics also claim the app could be used to spread misinformation beneficial to Beijing.

[ . . . ]

“Today, it’s about our bill and it’s about intimidating members considering that bill, but tomorrow it could be misinformation or lies about an election, about a war, about any number of things,” Gallagher said. “This is why we can’t take a chance on having a dominant news platform in America controlled or owned by a company that is behold to the Chinese Communist Party, our foremost adversary.”

Beijing has no right to free speech in the US.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SW3029 Avatar
15 months ago
It would be nice if Apple does a country-specific AI partnership approach like this. That way users in countries whose language isn't English don't have to miss out on AI features.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gatorvet96 Avatar
15 months ago
Seems that if a countries' leadership are confident that their system is the best for the people, that they wouldn't have to hide information from those people. Seems like they are insecure.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
webkit Avatar
15 months ago

Is the DOJ gonna be cool with this?
The DOJ should be ok with it, especially if it is only used for the non-U.S. market.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)