Z.ai unveils GLM-5, a 744B parameter model optimized for complex systems engineering and long-horizon agentic tasks, achieving state-of-the-art performance among open-source models.
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Z.ai has launched GLM-5, a massive 744 billion parameter language model designed to push AI beyond conversational tasks into complex systems engineering and long-horizon agentic operations. The model represents a significant leap from its predecessor, GLM-4.5, scaling pre-training data from 23 trillion to 28.5 trillion tokens while implementing DeepSeek Sparse Attention to reduce deployment costs.
From Chat to Work: GLM-5's Engineering Focus
The evolution from GLM-4.5 to GLM-5 marks Z.ai's transition from "chat" to "work" - positioning the model as an engineering tool rather than just a conversational partner. This shift mirrors broader industry trends where foundation models are becoming specialized for professional workflows.
GLM-5's architecture includes 40 billion active parameters during inference, making it one of the largest open-source models available. The model integrates slime, a novel asynchronous reinforcement learning infrastructure that addresses the inefficiency challenges of scaling RL training for large language models.
Benchmark Performance: Leading Open-Source Category
On academic benchmarks, GLM-5 demonstrates best-in-class performance among open-source models:
Reasoning Excellence:
- Humanity's Last Exam: 30.5% (top open-source)
- AIME 2026 I: 92.7%
- GPQA-Diamond: 86.0%
Coding Prowess:
- SWE-bench Verified: 77.8%
- SWE-bench Multilingual: 73.3%
- Terminal-Bench 2.0: 56.2% (verified version)
Agentic Capabilities:
- BrowseComp with Context Management: 75.9%
- τ²-Bench: 89.7%
- Vending Bench 2: $4,432.12 (simulated one-year vending machine operation)
Real-World Applications: Beyond Benchmarks
GLM-5's design targets practical engineering challenges. The model can generate complete, ready-to-use documents including PRDs, lesson plans, financial reports, and sponsorship proposals. Z.ai's Agent mode integrates skills for PDF, Word, and Excel creation, supporting multi-turn collaboration.
A demonstration shows GLM-5 generating a comprehensive high school football sponsorship proposal, complete with visual elements, sponsorship tiers, and community impact analysis - delivered as a polished .docx file ready for distribution.
Developer Access and Integration
Developers can access GLM-5 through multiple channels:
- API Access: Available on api.z.ai and BigModel.cn
- Local Deployment: Model weights released under MIT License on HuggingFace and ModelScope
- Coding Agents: Compatible with Claude Code, OpenCode, Kilo Code, Roo Code, Cline, and Droid
- GUI Environment: Z Code provides an agentic development environment for complex task orchestration
The model supports various inference frameworks including vLLM and SGLang, with optimizations for non-NVIDIA chips like Huawei Ascend and Moore Threads.
The Vibe Coding to Agentic Engineering Pipeline
GLM-5 represents a maturation of AI capabilities - moving from "vibe coding" (exploratory, conversational programming) to systematic agentic engineering. The model's strength lies in long-horizon planning and resource management, as demonstrated by its performance on Vending Bench 2 where it managed a simulated business over a one-year period.
This progression reflects a broader industry shift where AI models are becoming specialized tools for specific professional domains rather than general-purpose assistants. GLM-5's focus on systems engineering and agentic tasks positions it as a platform for building autonomous software agents capable of complex, multi-step operations.
Technical Innovations
Key technical advancements in GLM-5 include:
- DeepSeek Sparse Attention (DSA): Reduces computational overhead while maintaining long-context capacity
- Slime RL Infrastructure: Enables efficient large-scale reinforcement learning through asynchronous training
- Parameter Scaling: 744B total parameters with 40B active during inference
- Token Scaling: 28.5T pre-training tokens for enhanced knowledge coverage
Availability and Licensing
The model weights are available under the permissive MIT License, encouraging both commercial and research use. Z.ai offers tiered access through its platform, with GLM Coding Plan subscribers receiving priority access to the model.
As AI models continue to scale and specialize, GLM-5 represents a significant step toward practical, engineering-focused artificial intelligence that can handle complex, long-duration tasks traditionally requiring human expertise and planning capabilities.
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