Model catalogue · Z.ai (Zhipu AI)
GLM
Vendor version: glm-5.3-flash (as of 29 August 2026)
An open-weights model under the MIT licence that reaches the highest score among open models in the Artificial Analysis index (as of 08/2026); operation, modification and redistribution are possible without asking the vendor, and the training focus is on programming and agent tasks rather than German legal register. The contractual chain is closed via the Open Telekom Cloud: T-Systems operates this model itself in Germany and commits that inputs and outputs are neither stored nor visible to Telekom or third parties and that no training on customer data takes place. Dedicated operation on reserved hardware and operation on your own hardware fail here not on law but on equipment.
Everything section 203 requires is settled, including the provider's confidentiality undertaking. You do not have to clarify anything further.
What it is good for
- MIT licence - the freest of the common model licences, without a user threshold and without a usage reservation
- Highest score in the Artificial Analysis index among all open-weights models (as of 08/2026)
- The Flash tier runs in dedicated operation, the large tier through the EU inference chain
Where it stops
- The vendor is based in China - irrelevant for the contractual chain, because open weights are operated in Europe, but in need of explanation towards clients
- The large tier cannot be operated on a single dedicated instance
- Cut for programming and agent tasks; legal text work is not its training focus
- No variant of the line with a documented parameter count runs on a single dedicated card - the documented tier with 357 billion parameters needs around 196 GB for the weights alone even in 4-bit quantisation. The load-bearing route is currently procurement from German data centres (research date 2026-08-17)
Routes examined
The same model, procured differently, is a different legal position. What is examined per route is the contract chain, not the model.
| Route | Section 203 status | Version on this route |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated instance in Germany, operated by Gosign | conditional | - |
| EU inference of open models through the Gosign chain | covered | glm-5.3 |
| German data centres through the Gosign chain | covered | - |
| Self-operated at the firm (open weights) | conditional | - |
The conditions behind a conditional status - which piece is open on which route and who closes it - are set out in the full matrix in the German catalogue, and we go through them in the conversation. The German page for GLM carries the sources with their retrieval dates.
Is GLM the right fit?
We go through your tasks and the route that carries them - and say plainly where it does not.
Arrange a conversation