北京：苹果公司于周三（11月4日）开始面向中国用户长期推迟的自研人工智能（AI）工具试运行，在这家美国巨头的一个重要市场上，追赶本土智能手机厂商。
BEIJING: Apple began on Wednesday (Nov 4) a long-delayed trial rollout of in-house artificial intelligence (AI) tools for Chinese users, playing catch-up to homegrown smartphone makers in a major market for the US giant.
这些名为“Apple Intelligence”的设备端功能于2024年秋季首次在美国和其他国家发布，标志着该公司首次大举进军生成式AI。
The on-device features dubbed "Apple Intelligence" were first released in the United States and other countries in autumn 2024, marking the firm's first major push into generative AI.
但中国对这项快速发展的技术的严格监管要求，阻碍了其在该国的推出——此外，苹果在其他地方用来增强自身AI能力的谷歌和OpenAI的模型在中国无法使用。
But strict Chinese regulatory requirements for the fast-evolving technology have held back its launch there - as well as the fact that models from Google and OpenAI, which Apple has used elsewhere to boost its own AI capabilities, are not available in the country.
苹果基本上没有参与全球AI投资热潮，该公司宣布将与中国合作伙伴——阿里巴巴的通义千问（Qwen）——合作，在自身基础AI功能之外，将更强大的AI功能整合到设备中。
Apple, which has largely stayed out of the global AI investment frenzy, announced it will work with a Chinese partner - Alibaba's Qwen - to integrate more powerful AI features into devices alongside its own basic AI offerings.
苹果在上周末的一份声明中表示，周三的试运行仅限开发者，但中国公众将于12月可以使用Apple Intelligence服务。
Wednesday's trial rollout is restricted to developers, but public access to Apple Intelligence services in China will come in December, the company said in a statement at the weekend.
Counterpoint Research高级分析师林科宇（Ivan Lam）表示，备受期待的Apple Intelligence在中国上线“填补了苹果AI功能长期以来的空白”。
The long-anticipated Chinese rollout of Apple Intelligence "fills a long-standing gap in Apple's AI offering", said Ivan Lam, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.
但林科宇表示，这未必能在这片拥挤的市场上给这家加利福尼亚公司带来“显著优势”。
However, it does not necessarily give the Californian company "a significant advantage" in a crowded market, Lam said.
首批发布包含18项AI功能，从通话实时翻译到消息摘要和校对工具，但不包括iPhone助手Siri的最新升级。“让步”中国法规要求AI服务提供商向国家互联网监管机构备案，并要求使用本地数据中心、在境内处理数据。
The initial release includes 18 AI features, from live translation of phone calls to tools for summarising and proofreading messages, but not the latest upgrade of iPhone assistant Siri. “CONCESSION”Chinese regulations require AI service providers to with the country's internet watchdog, and there are requirements to use local data centres and process data domestically.
苹果直到7月才获得监管批准，此前据报道，苹果曾与中国科技公司——包括阿里巴巴、百度、字节跳动和腾讯——就Apple Intelligence的合作事宜进行过商谈。
Apple only secured regulatory approval in July, after reportedly holding talks with Chinese tech firms including Alibaba, Baidu, ByteDance and Tencent about partnerships on Apple Intelligence.
包括谷歌、OpenAI和Anthropic在内的主要美国人工智能公司，要么禁止中国用户，要么限制其服务的访问，且不太可能获得监管批准。
Major US AI firms, including Google, OpenAI and Anthropic, have either banned Chinese users or restricted access to their services, and are unlikely to secure regulatory clearance.
iiMedia研究机构创始人张毅告诉法新社，与本地合作伙伴共同开发Apple Intelligence“标志着苹果在中国市场在定价和人工智能体验定义权方面的结构性让步”。
Working with local partners on Apple Intelligence "signifies a structural concession by Apple regarding its pricing and defining power over the AI experience in the Chinese market", Zhang Yi, founder of research firm iiMedia, told AFP.
他表示，苹果在中国推出人工智能工具的延迟并非由于研发滞后，而是“合规成本”。
Apple's delay in introducing AI tools in China was not due to lags in research and development, but rather "compliance costs", he said.
尽管苹果新任首席执行官约翰·特纳斯在过去一个季度报告了大中华地区（包括香港和台湾）收入增长21%，但他仍面临不断变化的市场中的重大挑战。
Despite reporting a 21 per cent increase in revenue in the Greater China region, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, for the past quarter, Apple's new chief executive officer John Ternus still faces significant challenges in an evolving market.
根据研究机构Omdia的数据，中国有超过1.1亿部iPhone可以支持Apple Intelligence，为快速采用奠定了基础，但竞争激烈。
According to research firm Omdia, more than 110 million iPhones in China can support Apple Intelligence, providing a foundation for quick adoption - but competition is fierce.
Omdia高级分析师钟小雷告诉法新社：“中国手机制造商和互联网公司正在积极开发人工智能功能和智能体生态系统。”
"Chinese mobile phone manufacturers and internet companies are actively developing AI features and agent ecosystems," Zhong Xiaolei, a senior analyst at Omdia, told AFP.