Apple’s Cook praises DeepSeek ahead of Shanghai developer conference

At the China Development Forum in Beijing, Cook called DeepSeek’s models ‘excellent’, as consumers await the launch of Apple Intelligence.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recommended the artificial intelligence (AI) models of Chinese start-up DeepSeek ahead of a developer conference in Shanghai, as the US tech giant awaits final approval to bring Apple Intelligence to iPhones on the mainland.

Speaking on the sidelines of the China Development Forum in Beijing, a state-organised forum to woo global investors, the executive told the official China News Service that DeepSeek’s models were “excellent”, the outlet reported on Sunday. Cook did not elaborate.

The forum was part of Cook’s first visit to China this year. He also posted on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo about his tour of Beijing with a local influencer on Saturday. Apple is set to hold its developer conference in Shanghai on Tuesday, where it is expected to unveil details about Apple Intelligence for mainland developers.

Apple CEO Tim Cook chats with other attendees before the opening ceremony of the China Development Forum in Beijing on March 23. Photo: via Reuters

Cook’s visit comes amid declining China sales for the Cupertino, California-based company, as pressure mounts in tandem with increased tariffs by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Apple’s smartphone shipments in China slumped 25 per cent in the fourth quarter as it faces intensified competition from domestic brands such as Huawei Technologies, Vivo and Xiaomi, although the launch of the iPhone 16 series helped it rise to No 1 for the three months through December.

For the full year, Apple’s shipments declined 17 per cent to 42.9 million units in the country, trailing Vivo and Huawei.

Cook visited China at least three times last year in a show of Apple’s support for the world’s biggest smartphone market as it tries to boost consumer confidence amid sluggish demand. During his last visit in November, he attended a supply chain conference in Beijing, where he emphasised that Apple “could not do what it does” without its Chinese partners.

Apple plans to launch Apple Intelligence in multiple languages, including simplified Chinese, in April with the release of the latest version of iOS.

Last month, news broke that the iPhone maker struck a deal with Alibaba Group Holding to use the Chinese firm’s Qwen AI models as part of Apple Intelligence on the mainland, the South China Morning Post reported. Alibaba owns the Post. The company is reportedly also partnering with Baidu to use its models, according to The Information.

Cook is among a group of US executives attending the forum this year, where Chinese Premier Li Qiang pledged to open more sectors of the economy and called on global corporate leaders to seize opportunities from China’s renewed momentum in innovation, which has received a boost by the success of DeepSeek this year.

The Hangzhou-based start-up took the tech world by storm after unveiling AI models which were built at a fraction of the costs and computing resources used by US rivals, while delivering comparable results.

Cook previously praised DeepSeek during an earnings call in January, saying “innovation that drives efficiency is a good thing”.

Apple’s Cook praises DeepSeek ahead of Shanghai developer conference