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China’s AI Rules Force Apple Intelligence to Pass 2,000-Question Refusal Test Before Launch

Beijing’s restrictions bar Apple from using Western partners, driving a shift to an approved domestic AI provider.

Overview

  • To gain approval, the system must refuse at least 95% of prompts crafted to trigger responses on banned or politically sensitive topics.
  • Regulators administer 2,000 test questions and refresh them at least monthly, requiring ongoing model adjustments.
  • Apple is preparing a China-specific rollout that uses an approved local partner, with reporting indicating involvement of Alibaba’s Qwen model.
  • Outside China, Apple relies on on-device processing and fallbacks to OpenAI and Google Gemini, which are not permitted by Chinese rules.
  • Specialized consultancies now help AI vendors prepare for the exam-style evaluation, highlighting the operational burden of compliance.