This episode, I talk with Zixuan Li at Z.ai, one of China's top AI labs and the company behind the popular GLM models. Zixuan is Z.ai's Director of Product for genAI strategy and global partnerships. We discuss Z.ai's newest flagship AI model, the challenges of building agentic AI models, and what their longer AI strategy looks like.

00:00 Intro to Zixuan Li of Z.ai

00:29 GLM-5.1, Z.ai's Newest Flagship Model

04:34 Long Horizon Tasks

08:33 GLM Family of Foundation Models

14:30 Challenges in Developing Agentic AI Models

19:37 Working with Chinese AI Chipmakers

22:53 Open Source vs. Proprietary Models

36:49 Life After IPO and Chasing AGI

41:37 Z.ai's Global Strategy

Links:

• Z.ai
• GLM-5.1: Towards Long-Horizon Tasks
• Zixuan on X/Twitter

For transcripts and more, check out the High Capacity newsletter.

Rui Ma, founder of Tech Buzz China, explains the real sources of China's tech strengths and where the US still has the advantage. From industrial parks to capital markets, we talk about how to understand China's tech landscape at a deeper level -- and why so many people are eager to tour Chinese factories.Links:

• Tech Buzz China
• Tech Buzz China newsletter
• Rui Ma on X / Twitter

For transcripts and more, check out the High Capacity newsletter

Tom Wang, Hugging Face's head of APAC ecosystem, joins me to talk about the latest wave of Chinese AI models, how China's AI open source ecosystem works, the rise of AI agents and OpenClaw in China, and more.Links:- Tom Wang on Twitter / X- Tom Wang on Hugging FaceFor transcripts and more, check out the High Capacity newsletter