--- title: "Z.ai API | Ethical Stack" url: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/ catalog_version: f6baff2119d0e9158520da7fbe4232011dac79f25bd08757436d7a1dbd593db2 --- # Z.ai API Hosted GLM API for applications and compatible clients. Canonical profile: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/ Scope: Z.ai developer API endpoints; consumer chat and ZCode Coding Plan endpoints are assessed separately. Published overall: 3.5; 4/6 dimensions rated. Round the equal-weight mean of available numerical ratings to one decimal; require at least four of six for an overall score. BDS status stays outside the mean; for eligible profiles, a boycott target caps the final score at 2/10 and a pressure target subtracts one point (minimum 1). Not listed and not checked do not adjust the score. ## Energy practices Finding: 3/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/#energy Public docs establish the Z.ai hosted developer API route; they do not establish its request-level physical footprint. The API supports selecting GLM models and request-generation parameters; these configure workload, but no physical savings are published. Reason: 1 + 1 reporting + 0 electricity + 1 controls = 3/10. This grades documented practices and transparency. Argument: This practices and disclosure grade covers Z.ai hosted developer API. Public product/API documentation establishes how this route operates and the listed user controls, but gives no measured per-request energy, emissions or water. A corporate electricity claim is not allocated to this route. Type: argument; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): Z.ai hosted developer API Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Request-level electricity, emissions, water use, serving utilization and any route-specific clean-power matching are not reported for Z.ai hosted developer API. ```json { "method": "practices-transparency-v1", "scope": "Z.ai hosted developer API", "components": { "disclosure": { "score": 1, "reason": "Official documentation describes the Z.ai hosted developer API operating boundary, but does not publish a dated quantitative energy, emissions or water result for this route.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.z.ai/api-reference" ] }, "electricity": { "score": 0, "reason": "The reviewed sources do not map Z.ai hosted developer API to a site-specific electricity mix or time-matched clean-power supply.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.z.ai/api-reference" ] }, "demand": { "score": 1, "reason": "The API supports selecting GLM models and request-generation parameters; these configure workload, but no physical savings are published.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://docs.z.ai/api-reference" ] } }, "actualImpactMeasured": false } ``` - [Z.ai API Reference](https://docs.z.ai/api-reference) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Training data Finding: Depends on the model Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/#training-rights The API supports multiple model versions; corpus rights belong to the selected GLM release, not to the API interface. Reason: The API supports multiple model versions; corpus rights belong to the selected GLM release, not to the API interface. Argument: The API terms and reference establish access to changing GLM endpoints, not the provenance or permissions for each model’s training corpus. Submitted API prompts and training data for a released model are separate questions. Type: argument; confidence: medium Scope (profile): Z.ai developer API endpoints; consumer chat and ZCode Coding Plan endpoints are assessed separately. Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Selected model/version, training sources, rights, data filtering, and creator controls remain model-specific. ```json { "method": "training-rights-evidence-v1", "scope": "The stated training release or selected model", "components": null, "routeDependency": "The API supports multiple model versions; corpus rights belong to the selected GLM release, not to the API interface.", "modelReference": null } ``` - [Z.ai API Reference](https://docs.z.ai/api-reference) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Z.ai Terms of Use](https://chat.z.ai/legal-agreement/terms-of-service) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Your data & privacy Finding: Not enough evidence Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/#privacy The developer API has separate terms and a Data Processing Addendum; the individual-user privacy policy explicitly excludes business/API content. Reason: The governing API privacy document is separate from the readable consumer policy and was not verified here. Argument: Z.ai’s individual privacy policy expressly directs developers to separate API terms and a Data Processing Addendum. The API reference documents the inference route, but the DPA content and route-specific prompt retention were not established in this review, so no numeric privacy score is assigned. Type: argument; confidence: low Scope (profile): Z.ai developer API endpoints; consumer chat and ZCode Coding Plan endpoints are assessed separately. Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Current API DPA, default retention, training use, region-specific processing, and account controls need review before classifying prompt handling. - [Z.ai API Reference](https://docs.z.ai/api-reference) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Z.ai Terms of Use](https://chat.z.ai/legal-agreement/terms-of-service) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Openness Finding: 3/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/#openness A hosted API with model selection and standard request interfaces; the serving implementation remains provider-controlled. Reason: Documented API interface, without provider-controlled serving runtime access. Argument: The API offers documented endpoints and model IDs for integration, but not the hosted serving runtime or a self-hosted API deployment package. This score describes the service route, not public GLM weights. Type: argument; confidence: medium Scope (profile): Z.ai developer API endpoints; consumer chat and ZCode Coding Plan endpoints are assessed separately. Research reviewed: not recorded; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Individual GLM weight releases may be usable separately under their own licenses. - [Z.ai API Reference](https://docs.z.ai/api-reference) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Z.ai Terms of Use](https://chat.z.ai/legal-agreement/terms-of-service) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Z.ai Privacy Policy for Individual Users](https://chat.z.ai/legal-agreement/privacy-policy) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Worker protections Finding: 1/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/#labour Z.ai’s company and GLM model materials reviewed do not establish employment protections, worker voice, supplier labor standards or labor assurance. Reason: 1 + 0 pay & conditions + 0 worker voice & remedy + 0 evidence & follow-through = 1/10. This grades documented worker safeguards, not a measured rate of mistreatment. Argument: The sources reviewed provide product, terms, or corporate information but no qualifying disclosure about conditions for data annotators, evaluators, moderators, or infrastructure workers. This is a disclosure gap within the checked materials, not evidence that workers are mistreated or that no labor policy exists. This entry carries the same developer/operator finding to Z.ai API; it does not establish that this product was deployed under every cited relationship. Type: argument; confidence: low Scope (dimension): JINGSHENG HENGXING TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD. (Z.ai): the documented developer/operator record, not proof of deployment of Z.ai API. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Worker counts, locations, pay, labor protections, worker voice mechanisms, supplier coverage, and independent audit or remediation outcomes were not established in the sources reviewed. ```json { "method": "worker-safeguards-evidence-v1", "entity": "zhipu", "company": "Zhipu AI / Z.ai", "scope": "Zhipu AI / Z.ai's workforce and disclosed contractors. Coverage of individual product teams may be incomplete.", "components": { "conditions": { "score": 0, "reason": "Reviewed sources provide no qualifying disclosure of worker conditions; this zero is limited to the checked material and is not an exhaustive claim.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://z.ai/company", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE" ] }, "voice": { "score": 0, "reason": "No qualifying worker-voice mechanism or documented worker grievance outcomes were disclosed in the reviewed material.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://z.ai/company", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE" ] }, "assurance": { "score": 0, "reason": "No independent labor audit results, worker-level corroboration, or remediation outcomes were disclosed in the reviewed material.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://z.ai/company", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE" ] } }, "disclosureLimited": true, "meaning": "This grades documented worker safeguards, not a measured rate of mistreatment." } ``` - [Z.ai company and GLM model overview](https://z.ai/company) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Z.ai model releases](https://huggingface.co/zai-org) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [glm-5-3 official license](https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## Military ties Finding: 7/10 Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/#military-contracts No Z.ai defense contract or deployment is identified; legacy ChatGLM2 restrictions are not generalized to current GLM models. Reason: 7 base + 0 safeguard adjustment = 7/10 (0 of 9 safeguard points; every 3 adds 1). No military relationship was established in the cited sources. This ranks above known defense ties without claiming a verified clean record. Argument: Z.ai’s current company and GLM-5.3 materials reviewed do not establish a defense contract or military deployment. A military-purpose clause in a separate legacy ChatGLM2 license is not generalized to GLM-5.3 or the company; no relevant restriction is credited without model-specific evidence. This entry carries the same developer/operator finding to Z.ai API; it does not establish that this product was deployed under every cited relationship. Type: argument; confidence: low Scope (dimension): JINGSHENG HENGXING TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD. (Z.ai): the documented developer/operator record, not proof of deployment of Z.ai API. Research reviewed: 2026-10-24; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: Complete contract texts, undisclosed customers, end-use restrictions, actual workload deployment, and independent compliance or outcome reports are unavailable in the reviewed public material. ```json { "method": "military-ties-priority-v2", "entity": "zhipu", "company": "Zhipu AI / Z.ai", "scope": "Zhipu AI / Z.ai's relationships and safeguards. A company relationship does not identify every product or release used.", "components": { "restrictions": { "score": 0, "reason": "The reviewed terms or policy material contains no qualifying military-use restriction beyond general lawfulness/export compliance; this zero is limited to the reviewed source set.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://z.ai/company", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE" ] }, "oversight": { "score": 0, "reason": "No military-specific review, enforcement, or remedy mechanism was disclosed in the sources reviewed.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://z.ai/company", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE" ] }, "transparency": { "score": 0, "reason": "No military-specific relationship or military-specific transparency policy was disclosed in the materials reviewed; this is a scoped disclosure finding.", "sourceUrls": [ "https://z.ai/company", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org", "https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE" ] } }, "relationship": "not-established", "relationshipReason": "The reviewed Z.ai company and model materials do not identify a defense contract or military deployment. A ChatGLM2 model license contains a military-purpose restriction, but that legacy model-specific license is not treated as a blanket current company policy.", "score": 7, "baseScore": 7, "safeguardPoints": 0, "safeguardAdjustment": 0, "rawScore": 7, "cap": null, "disclosureLimited": true, "meaning": "Known military relationships take priority over missing safeguards. The rating does not establish the probability of an undisclosed contract." } ``` - [Z.ai company and GLM model overview](https://z.ai/company) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [Z.ai model releases](https://huggingface.co/zai-org) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) - [glm-5-3 official license](https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3/blob/main/LICENSE) (primary; checked 2026-10-24) ## BDS targets Finding: Not listed Assessment: https://ethicalstack.ai/providers/zai-api/#israel-palestine We did not find Z.ai among the named targets in the two official BNC campaign lists checked on 2026-10-23. This is a limited list check, not BDS approval. Reason: BDS campaign status is a factual category, not a 1–10 ethical rating. Argument: Z.ai is not a named target in the checked lists, but BDS uses selective campaigns, so absence cannot establish a clean record. Running downloaded weights locally is a different decision from paying the developer or a cloud host; check the host as well. This entry carries the same developer/operator finding to Z.ai API; it does not establish that this product was deployed under every cited relationship. Type: evidence; confidence: medium Scope (dimension): JINGSHENG HENGXING TECHNOLOGY PTE. LTD. (Z.ai): the documented developer/operator record, not proof of deployment of Z.ai API. Research reviewed: 2026-10-23; evidence date: not recorded Unknowns: This review covers the named targets in the BNC consumer/pressure guide and No Tech campaign, not every BDS campaign, local group, investment or supplier. Lists and ownership can change. A company’s absence from these lists is not an endorsement or proof that it has no relevant relationships. - [BNC target list (not checked for this company)](https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott) (campaign; checked 2026-10-24) - [BNC target list (not checked for this company)](https://bdsmovement.net/no-tech-oppression-apartheid-or-genocide) (campaign; checked 2026-10-24) ## Reading the evidence - Assessments are provisional editorial judgments. Cite the profile and the underlying sources, and retain confidence, scope and unknowns. - Unknown, not-applicable and model-dependent are different states. Missing evidence does not establish good or bad conduct. - Company-level evidence does not establish use of a particular product or model. Account plan, model, host and route can change an assessment. - Energy scores describe documented practices and transparency, not measured request emissions. Zero component points can mean an evidence gap. - Published overall scores require at least four of six numerical dimensions. Preserve coverage and BDS adjustments; BDS itself is categorical. - No named BDS target found is limited to the reviewed campaign sources and is not approval. Personalized priorities do not change the published overall score. - Review and source-check dates describe the research, not this deployment. Fetch current primary sources when the decision requires current verification. Methodology: https://ethicalstack.ai/methodology/