Zhipu Unveils AutoGLM AI Agent: Stepping Up Against Google and Anthropic in Mobile and PC Automation
In a strategic move ahead of Apple's anticipated AI assistant launch, Chinese AI startup Zhipu (智谱) has introduced its own generative AI-based automation system, called AutoGLM. This ambitious rollout positions Zhipu alongside tech giants like Google and Anthropic in the growing landscape of artificial intelligence for computer and mobile phone automation. The testing phase for this promising new AI agent is already underway, signaling a significant push in the AI industry towards enhancing mobile and PC user experience.
What Happened: AutoGLM Unveiled as the Latest AI Assistant
Zhipu, a Chinese AI startup originating from Tsinghua University's Computer Science Department and founded in 2019, has launched a new AI agent called AutoGLM on October 25. The launch coincided with the October 28 release of Apple's AI assistant, creating significant buzz in the AI tech community. AutoGLM is currently in the testing phase, aiming to automate tasks for both computers and mobile devices by leveraging generative AI technologies. The system is designed to control electronic devices autonomously, providing integration across multiple apps to automate daily tasks.
AutoGLM is compatible with eight major applications, including WeChat, Taobao, Meituan, and Xiaohongshu. Users can benefit from a wide array of functionalities, such as online chatting, shopping, interacting on social media, navigating maps, and booking hotels and train tickets—all through text or voice commands. The AI leverages Zhipu's GLM-4-Voice model, which enhances its emotional resonance, language support, and voice command capabilities.
Despite its capabilities, AutoGLM has some current limitations. The AI system does not yet support compatibility with apps like DiDi, JD.com, or Pinduoduo. It also has some limitations in offering personalized operations and has pricing inefficiencies, for instance, overpaying for certain services, such as Luckin Coffee orders.
The rollout of AutoGLM comes at a time of high anticipation in the AI sector, as Google gears up for its own AI automation project called Project Jarvis, set to launch in December, and Microsoft readies OmniParser. OpenAI also has its computer control agent in development. These launches are expected to further intensify competition in the AI assistant space.
Key Takeaways: Zhipu's New AI Assistant
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Strategic Timing: AutoGLM's launch was strategically planned to coincide with Apple's AI assistant release, creating significant market buzz. This generated positive movement in Chinese stock markets, with companies such as Chuanzhi Education and Doushen Education seeing stock prices increase by up to 20%.
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Comprehensive Automation: AutoGLM offers a wide range of functions—from online shopping and WeChat messaging to navigation and social media interactions. The platform is currently compatible with multiple major applications, enhancing user experience in different aspects of digital life.
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Privacy at the Core: Zhipu emphasizes privacy protection, with features ensuring that users need to explicitly consent to tasks. Unlike some other systems, AutoGLM does not automatically collect personal information, and permissions are reset whenever the application restarts.
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Technical Advantages: Built on GLM-4-9B base model, the AI leverages adaptive learning through WEBRL (self-evolving online course reinforcement learning). This allows AutoGLM to overcome challenges like policy distribution drift and scarcity of training tasks, thus continuously improving its performance.
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Strategic Hardware Partnerships: Zhipu has collaborated with Qualcomm and Samsung for deeper hardware integration. These partnerships aim to optimize AutoGLM's capabilities for devices equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen platforms, enhancing multimodal interactions and making personalized AI services available on Samsung devices globally.
Deep Analysis: Zhipu Aims for Market Leadership Amid Growing AI Competition
The release of AutoGLM is a key milestone for Zhipu, not just in terms of product development but also market positioning. Zhipu's push comes amidst a rapidly expanding market for AI-powered mobile and PC automation. According to recent IDC forecasts, AI-integrated mobile phones are expected to capture over 50% of the global market share by 2027, while AI-powered PCs will exceed 80% in market share during the same timeframe. This makes Zhipu's proactive approach essential for competing effectively against heavyweights like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI.
The advanced technical features of AutoGLM—particularly its GLM-4-Voice model—highlight its differentiation from competitors. By supporting multiple languages and dialects while providing emotional resonance through its speech capabilities, AutoGLM aims to enhance user interactions and make them more human-like. This can be a significant differentiator as AI assistants move towards a more natural communication interface. However, the model is still at an early stage, with further improvements needed in areas like personalized pricing and broader app integration.
Zhipu's recent funding round—securing several billion RMB in September 2023—has put its valuation at over 20 billion RMB, making it the first Chinese large language model (LLM) company to cross this valuation threshold. The funding allows Zhipu to innovate faster, building on its foundational work from Tsinghua University and establishing itself as a key player in the global AI market.
Zhipu's partnerships with Qualcomm and Samsung also position AutoGLM to gain a competitive advantage in terms of hardware optimization. By leveraging Snapdragon 8 Gen platforms and integrating hardware-level AI functionalities, Zhipu aims to offer a more cohesive and efficient user experience. These collaborations will be instrumental in extending AutoGLM's reach to a broader user base and optimizing performance for personalized AI services on a global scale.
Did You Know?
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Zhipu is not just a new player in the AI space—its origins trace back to Tsinghua University's prestigious Computer Science Department, lending the company substantial academic credibility.
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The GLM-4-Voice model used by AutoGLM can synthesize speech with a minimum of 20 tokens, and also supports multiple dialects, including Cantonese, Chongqing, and Beijing dialects. This level of language support is an important differentiator in markets like China, where regional languages and dialects are crucial for effective communication.
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Zhipu has already crossed an impressive valuation of 20 billion RMB, making it the first large language model company in China to do so. This valuation was fueled by its latest funding round in September 2023, underlining the confidence investors have in the company's AI potential.
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AutoGLM includes privacy features that are uncommon in the AI assistant space. Tasks require explicit user consent, and no automatic data collection is performed—a key point that sets it apart from some competitors who may have more intrusive data collection policies.
Conclusion
Zhipu's launch of AutoGLM is a bold statement of its ambitions in the AI space, challenging not only domestic competitors but also tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. The timing, coupled with strong technical capabilities and key strategic partnerships, has set the stage for AutoGLM to make a mark in the growing AI automation market for computers and mobile devices. While there are areas that require further refinement—such as app compatibility and personalized operations—Zhipu has positioned itself as an important player in an industry that is increasingly seeing global demand for intelligent automation solutions.