Zhipu AI Surges Ahead with GLM-4.5 Open-Source Model

Chinese startup Zhipu releases the open-source GLM-4.5 for intelligent agents, joining a competitive field of local AI developments. With backing from Chinese local governments, Zhipu gains recognition following reports of securing government contracts. China's AI landscape sees rapid growth, leading globally in the number of released large-language models.

In a significant move on Monday, Chinese AI startup Zhipu announced the release of its open-source model GLM-4.5, targeting intelligent agent applications. The announcement comes as Zhipu steps into a competitive arena filled with similar ventures from local counterparts.

Marked as one of China's promising 'AI tigers,' Zhipu has garnered attention and support from Chinese local governments. The startup's progress was highlighted by OpenAI in June, noting Zhipu's success in obtaining various government contracts across the country.

The release of GLM-4.5 underscores the rapidly expanding pipeline of AI models from China. By July, Chinese companies had introduced 1,509 large-language models, placing the nation in the lead globally, as reported by the state-owned Xinhua news agency.

(With inputs from agencies.)