China-based Z.ai (formerly Zhipu) has just made a major move in the AI world with the launch of its new GLM-4.5 language models. These models are open-source, powerful, and designed for the next generation of autonomous AI agents. With this launch, Z.ai is positioning itself as a serious challenger to global tech giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
Two Models, One Mission
Z.ai has introduced two versions of GLM-4.5:
GLM-4.5: The full-featured model with 355 billion parameters (but uses only 32 billion during inference)
GLM-4.5-Air: A lighter, faster model with 106 billion total parameters (12 billion active during use)
This smart design, known as Mixture-of-Experts (MoE), allows these models to be highly efficient by only activating relevant parts of the neural network as needed. This keeps performance high while controlling costs.
Why It Matters
Speed and Efficiency: GLM-4.5 runs fast — over 100 tokens per second in high-speed mode.
Affordable Pricing: Z.ai offers the models at a fraction of what others charge, making advanced AI more accessible.
Open-Source Freedom: Developers can use, modify, and even sell their own versions of GLM-4.5 under the flexible Apache 2.0 license.
You can explore more via Z.ai’s official platform: https://www.z.ai
How It Performs
Agent Tasks
GLM-4.5 matches or outperforms top models like Claude 4 Sonnet in tasks that require autonomous decision-making and tool usage. For example:
Scored 26.4% on BrowseComp, beating Claude 4 Opus (18.8%)
Achieved 90.6% tool use reliability
Reasoning Power
98.2% on MATH 500
91.0% on AIME 2024 competition
Ranked top 3 globally in general reasoning tests like GPQA and MMLU Pro
Coding Capabilities
64.2% score on SWE-bench Verified (higher than GPT-4.1)
37.5% on Terminal-Bench, handling real-world coding and CLI tasks with ease
What This Means for AI Developers
Z.ai is clearly aiming to democratize AI development with:
Enterprise-grade performance
Developer-friendly tools
Transparent and auditable open-source code
Seamless Claude-compatible API integration
The models are already being adopted by developers and enterprises looking for alternatives that offer both high performance and greater control over data, cost, and customization.
The Bottom Line
Z.ai’s GLM-4.5 is not just another model — it’s a bold step toward open, efficient, and enterprise-ready AI. For those building the next generation of AI agents, it offers an impressive mix of power, affordability, and flexibility.
As AI continues to evolve rapidly, innovations like GLM-4.5 signal a shift toward greater transparency, competition, and global leadership — with China now firmly in the conversation.
