When Z.ai (formerly Zhipu AI) released GLM-Image in January 2026, they didn't simply add another model to the crowded image generation space—they fundamentally challenged the architecture assumptions that have dominated the field. GLM-Image combines a 9-billion parameter autoregressive language model with a 7-billion parameter diffusion decoder, creating a 16-billion parameter hybrid system that achieves something remarkable: it's the first open-source, industrial-grade discrete auto-regressive image generation model that actually rivals proprietary giants in specific capabilities while being freely available for anyone to use and modify.