Model shows China can scale AI on domestic chips, setting a usage record as Beijing pushes to cut reliance on US hardware
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenMinxiao Changin ShenzhenPublished: 4:30pm, 27 Aug 2026China’s Zhipu AI has launched its latest open-weight model, GLM-5.3-Flash – previously code-named Ox Alpha – saying that the system ran entirely on a cluster of 100,000 domestically produced chips during a high-profile stealth trial.The announcement followed a week of heavy traffic on artificial intelligence model marketplace OpenRouter and agent platform OpenCode, where the model processed 62 trillion tokens before its formal release on Wednesday, according to Zhipu.On OpenRouter, the system processed more than 11 trillion tokens in its first three days, making it the platform’s biggest launch to date.
Zhipu’s shares closed more than 12 per cent higher at HK$1,160 in Hong Kong on Thursday.
During its preview, Ox Alpha rapidly surged to the top of global usage rankings. According to OpenRouter data on Thursday, the model ranked first among coding systems on the platform, accounting for 10.3 trillion tokens, or nearly 31 per cent of its total weekly volume.
