The frenzy over Chinese artificial intelligence is turning Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. into an investor favorite again, injecting new life into an e-commerce giant that had nearly sunk into obscurity following a years-long regulatory crackdown.

CEO Tim Cook attributed the recent 11% drop in iPhone sales in China to the lack of Apple Intelligence, while local competitors like Huawei moved quickly to fill the gap. In its search for a local AI partner, Apple considered startups such as DeepSeek and ByteDance but ultimately chose Alibaba.

Shares of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba surged in Hong Kong on Wednesday after The Information reported the company is working with Apple to introduce AI features to iPhone users in China.