Model catalogue · Microsoft
Phi
Vendor version: phi-4 (as of 29 August 2026)
Microsoft's small model line under an open licence, complemented by a vision variant and a reasoning tier. This is the class for the legwork on receipts: reading invoice data, checking mandatory details, capturing scans - economical to run, but too small for long pleadings. Because the weights are openly available, processing ends where the model runs. In dedicated operation on reserved hardware in a German data centre the chain is therefore closed; the party bound is then the data centre operator, via the undertaking under section 203(4) of the German Criminal Code. When running on your own hardware no third party participates at all, and the disclosure question under section 203 does not arise.
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 - operation, modification and redistribution without asking the vendor
- Small enough for a dedicated instance with low running costs
- The vision variant reads scanned receipts without a separate OCR service
Where it stops
- 14 to 15 billion parameters - too small for long pleadings and complex argument
- No legal fine-tuning; references must be verified as a matter of principle
- Short context window compared with the large models in this catalogue
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 | covered | - |
| Self-operated at the firm (open weights) | covered | - |
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 Phi carries the sources with their retrieval dates.
Is Phi the right fit?
We go through your tasks and the route that carries them - and say plainly where it does not.
Arrange a conversation