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Photo: The New York Times |
The U.S. government and members of Congress have recently scrutinized the deal between Apple and Alibaba. They are concerned that Apple's partnership with a Chinese company could help a rival enhance its AI capabilities, expand censored chatbots, and leave Apple vulnerable to China's data censorship and sharing laws.
Three years ago, Apple faced pressure from the US government to abandon a memory chip purchase agreement with Chinese manufacturer YMTC. More recently, the company has also been affected by tariffs on goods manufactured in China, threatening its global profits.
If Apple is forced to abandon its agreement with Alibaba, the damage to the company will be more severe, as China accounts for nearly 20% of its global revenue. Without Alibaba's support, the iPhone could fall behind domestic competitors like Huawei and Xiaomi.
In a meeting in March, White House officials and the Bipartisan Commission on China questioned Apple extensively about the terms of the partnership, the data to be shared, and whether the company had signed any legally binding agreements with China. Apple was unable to answer many of these questions.
The U.S. is increasingly viewing AI as a potential military tool. This technology has the potential to coordinate attacks and operate unmanned aerial vehicles. Therefore, the U.S. is seeking to restrict Beijing's access to AI, including cutting off its ability to manufacture and purchase AI chips. Some within the Trump administration have even suggested placing Alibaba and other Chinese AI companies on a blacklist, prohibiting them from doing business with U.S. companies.
Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, said he was “very concerned about Apple’s lack of transparency.” He argued that Alibaba is a prime example of China’s “civil-military fusion” strategy, and that cooperating with them could help the company collect more data to train its AI models, while Apple disregards the privacy of Chinese users.
Apple, the White House, and Alibaba all declined to comment. Meanwhile, Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai confirmed the partnership in February.
US lawmakers worry that if Apple paves the way, other American companies will follow suit, further strengthening China's AI capabilities. Companies like Baidu and ByteDance could then use this improved technology to support the Chinese military.
Greg Allen, director of the Wadhwani Center for AI at CSIS, argues that Apple's support for Alibaba runs counter to bilateral efforts to curb Beijing's AI progress. "The U.S. is in an AI race with China. We can't let American businesses power our rivals," he said.
Besides the issue of cooperation with China, CEO Tim Cook also faced criticism from former President Trump for moving production lines to India. During a recent trip to the Middle East, Trump told Cook that he "doesn't care about manufacturing in India. We want you to manufacture in America."
Last year, Apple launched Apple Intelligence, a new suite of AI features for the iPhone, including notification summarization, email content writing, and a smarter Siri assistant. The company partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT for iPhone users in the US. But because OpenAI doesn't operate in China, Apple needed a local partner to provide a comparable experience. After negotiations with several companies, Apple chose Alibaba and applied to the Chinese authorities for AI licensing.
It is unclear when the AI features will be rolled out in China. Cook only revealed that iPhone sales are better in markets where Apple Intelligence is present.
The U.S. Congress is particularly concerned about Apple having to seek permission from Beijing in an area that is shaping the future. They fear Apple will be forced to make concessions, inadvertently placing itself under the control of the Chinese government.
Richard Kramer, an expert from research firm Arete, said that if the partnership with Alibaba fails, Apple could lose a major iPhone distribution channel in China. Meanwhile, Chinese competitors are actively integrating AI into their devices, making the iPhone experience less competitive.
"Users may still buy iPhones, but the experience will no longer be superior," he stated.
Source: https://znews.vn/apple-lai-gap-rac-roi-o-trung-quoc-post1553980.html
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