China's Oppo taps Google for privacy AI push, taking a page from Apple's playbook

Core Insights - Oppo is launching a private cloud computing system to enhance user privacy, similar to Apple's approach [1][4] - The new system, called Private Computing Cloud, will utilize Google's Confidential Computing software to protect user data from third-party access [2][3] - This initiative aims to prevent sensitive user data from being used to train Oppo's AI software, addressing privacy concerns in the AI-enabled smartphone market [5] Company Developments - Oppo is currently the sixth-largest smartphone maker in China, with a 14% market share as of the three months ending 2024 [5] - The integration of the Private Computing Cloud will include features such as call summarization, search, and image generation [4] - The move is seen as a strategic effort to establish a presence in the AI-enabled smartphone sector amidst rising privacy concerns [5] Industry Context - The privacy initiative by Oppo mirrors Apple's previous efforts to safeguard user data through its own cloud intelligence system [4] - The collaboration with Google highlights a trend among smartphone manufacturers to prioritize user privacy in the development of AI technologies [2][6] - Competitors like Honor are also forming partnerships with Google, indicating a broader industry shift towards privacy-preserving solutions [6]