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Z.ai (Zhipu AI)Pathology

GLM (Z.ai) for Pathology

Chinese AI lab (Zhipu, international Z.ai) with the open-weight GLM family under MIT licence, particularly strong at programming and agent tasks at low prices.

Not specifically recommended

GLM (Z.ai) isn't on our list for pathology. It's usable for general work, but first look at the options we recommend for pathology.

GDPR profileOur summary of what the provider itself publishes about your data: EU hosting possible, no training on your data for business use, and self-hosting available. Caution applies to a model with a documented problem, such as an investigation by a regulator. How we measure
GDPR: Caution
QualityQuality from blind duels on LMArena: users choose between two anonymous answers. A difference of about 20 points is noticeable, a few points is noise. How we measure
1483Elo, independent
Editorial scoreOur own assessment on 10 of suitability for professional work, price and privacy. This is a judgement, not a measurement; that is why it always sits alongside the Elo. How we measure
7,7
Entry price
Free
Full GDPR check

What GLM (Z.ai) does in pathology

Core tasks in pathology
  • Digitising and managing tissue slides in an image management system (scanners, LIMS, archive)
  • Detecting and grading cancer on H&E slides (e.g. Gleason score, mitotic counting, tumour size)
  • Counting and quantifying biomarkers in IHC stains (HER2, ER/PR, Ki-67, PD-L1)
  • Monitoring slide quality, prioritising cases and providing a second read as quality control
What GLM (Z.ai) is strong at
  • Top performance on coding and agent benchmarks at a fraction of the price
  • GLM-5.2 is fully open-weight under the MIT licence
  • 1 million tokens of context on the flagship
  • Affordable Coding Plan subscriptions for tools such as Claude Code

GLM (Z.ai) raises a concrete GDPR concern. Parent company Zhipu (Beijing) falls under Chinese data and security legislation, regardless of where the servers are located. For sensitive data, self-hosting the MIT-licensed weights is the recommended mitigation. Weigh this heavily before deploying it in pathology.

Confidentiality and GDPR

GDPR: Caution

You process special category personal data (health) and sometimes data for genetic research. Software for diagnostic use is an in vitro diagnostic medical device: check whether the algorithm is CE-marked under the IVDR for your exact application and tissue type. Many apps are 'research use only'. Choose providers with ISO 27001 and ISO 13485, a data processing agreement and clear data location (EU hosting or on-premise). Also ask whether your slides are used to train models. Under the EU AI Act, medical AI falling under the IVDR is classed as high-risk. Validate every algorithm locally on your own scanner and stains before using it in routine practice.

The international service Z.ai runs through JINGSHENG HENGXING TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD. (Singapore); personal data is in principle processed in Singapore. According to the data processing agreement, API content is processed in real time and not stored. GLM-5.2 is open-weight under MIT and can therefore be fully self-hosted or hosted through an EU provider.

Rule of thumb Use the business variant with a data processing agreement, and keep a human in the loop for decisions that matter.
Caution Parent company Zhipu (Beijing) falls under Chinese data and security legislation, regardless of where the servers are located. For sensitive data, self-hosting the MIT-licensed weights is the recommended mitigation.

Prices

Z.ai ChatFreeFree chatbot at chat.z.ai with GLM-5.x
GLM Coding Plan Lite$18 / monthIntroductory promo $12.60/month; Pro $72 and Max $160 per month
API, GLM-5.3$1.40 / $4.40 per 1MSame price as GLM-5.2 (calls are forwarded to 5.3); GLM-5.3-Flash $0.15 / $0.50; GLM-5 $1.00 / $3.20; GLM-4.7-Flash free

Questions about GLM (Z.ai) for pathology

Is GLM (Z.ai) suitable for pathology?
Not specifically. GLM (Z.ai) isn't on our list for pathology; it's broadly applicable, but first look at the options we recommend for pathology. Keep a professional in the loop for any use.
May I put confidential data into GLM (Z.ai)?
You process special category personal data (health) and sometimes data for genetic research. Software for diagnostic use is an in vitro diagnostic medical device: check whether the algorithm carries a CE mark under the IVDR for your exact application and tissue type. Many apps are only labelled 'research use only'. Choose providers with ISO 27001 and ISO 13485 certification, a data processing agreement and a clear data location (EU hosting or on-premise). Also ask whether your slides are used to train models. Under the AI Act, medical AI that falls under the IVDR is classed as high-risk. Validate every algorithm locally on your own scanner and stains before using it in routine practice. The international service of Z.ai runs via JINGSHENG HENGXING TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD. (Singapore); personal data is in principle processed in Singapore. According to the data processing agreement, API content is processed in real time and not stored. GLM-5.2 is open-weight under MIT and can therefore be fully self-hosted or hosted via an EU provider.
How much does GLM (Z.ai) cost?
There is Z.ai Chat (Free), GLM Coding Plan Lite ($18 / month), API, GLM-5.3 ($1.40 / $4.40 per 1M). Check current prices on the official site.

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