Apple and Alibaba's AI rollout in China delayed by Trump's trade war: Report

HighlightsThe rollout of artificial intelligence services by Apple Inc. and Alibaba Group Holding Limited in China is being delayed by the Cyberspace Administration of China due to rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and China. The delay in launching advanced AI features could significantly impact Apple Inc.'s sales in China, where it is already facing stiff competition from domestic rivals like Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. US President Donald Trump's trade policies have further complicated Apple's situation, including a 25% tariff on iPhones sold in the United States that are not manufactured domestically.
Apple and Alibaba's rollout of artificial intelligence services in China is being delayed by a Beijing regulator, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, as the partnership becomes the latest to take a hit due to US President Donald Trump's trade war. The tech companies in February announced a deal to support iPhones' AI services offering in China, a move likely to help the US company ease falling smartphone sales in its key market. But their applications have been stalled at the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), FT reported, citing two people familiar with the matter, due to increasing geopolitical uncertainties between China and the US.
AI features are especially important in China and consumer-facing AI products require regulatory approval.
Apple and Alibaba did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, while the CAC could not immediately be reached.
A delay in the rollout of the features could prove costly for Apple, which is facing declining iPhone sales in China amid growing competition from domestic rivals, particularly Huawei, which has integrated DeepSeek's AI models into its cloud services and devices.
Industry analysts have pointed to the absence of advanced AI features - a key selling point in latest-generation smartphones - as a significant disadvantage for Apple in the Chinese market.
The iPhone maker has also been slow in rolling out Apple Intelligence, a set of features with access to ChatGPT, with several advanced AI tools available on competing Android smartphones.
Trump in late May said that Apple would pay a 25% tariff on iPhones that are sold in the United States but not made in the country.
Apple will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from June 9 to 13, and it will highlight updates to the software powering iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices.

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Indian Express

33 minutes ago

• Indian Express

World's biggest banks increased fossil fuel financing by $162 billion in 2024: Report

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In March, American lender Wells Fargo scrapped plans to become net zero by 2050, weeks after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order announcing the country's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The US' withdrawal — which will take effect in early 2026 and see the world's largest economy join Iran, Libya, and Yemen as those not party to the Paris Agreement — has been part of a series of steps taken by the Trump administration to promote fossil fuels even in the face of 2024 being the hottest year ever recorded. In January, the US Treasury Department withdrew its membership of the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System —a voluntary global coalition that looks to mobilise green finance and develop recommendations for climate-risk management in the financial sector — as part of the aforementioned executive order signed by Trump. And ahead of Trump's inauguration, the US' six largest banks left the UN-sponsored Net Zero Banking Alliance. A committee of the US Senate also approved draft legislation this week that would hit key tax incentives for clean energy. The increase in fossil fuel financing by banks in 2024 marked a reversal of decreasing lending to the segment. While nearly $3.3 trillion has been made available to fossil fuel businesses since 2021, the 65 banks in the 2025 report have committed $7.9 trillion in fossil fuel financing since the Paris Agreement came into force in 2016. In 2024, financing for acquisitions increased by $19.2 billion to $82.9 billion. While mergers and acquisitions don't directly create new infrastructure, 'this consolidation — for which bank financing is critical — is often an attempt to grow the power and competitiveness of fossil fuel companies, at a time when the world actually needs to phase out fossil fuels', the report said. Siddharth Upasani is a Deputy Associate Editor with The Indian Express. 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Time of India

an hour ago

• Time of India

Europeans seek 'digital sovereignty' as US tech firms embrace Trump

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"Ordinary people, the kind of people who would never have thought it was important they were using an American service are saying, 'hang on!'," said UK-based internet regulation expert Maria Farrell. "My hairdresser was asking me what she should switch to." Use in Europe of Swiss-based ProtonMail rose 11.7% year-on-year to March compared to a year ago, according to Similarweb, while use of Alphabet's Gmail, which has some 70% of the global email market, slipped 1.9%. ProtonMail, which offers both free and paid-for services, said it had seen an increase in users from Europe since Trump's re-election, though it declined to give a number. "My household is definitely disengaging," said British software engineer Ken Tindell, citing weak US data privacy protections as one factor. 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Hindustan Times

an hour ago

• Hindustan Times

Zelensky urges Western allies to allot 0.25% GDP for Ukraine's defense industry

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