BEIJING — Feb 12 (GeokHub) - Chinese artificial intelligence startup Zhipu has increased subscription prices for its GLM coding plan, citing a sharp rise in demand from users relying on its AI models for programming support.
The company said the price adjustment — at least a 30% increase — takes effect immediately for new subscribers. Existing users will not be affected by the change.
Rising Demand for AI Coding Tools
Zhipu’s GLM coding plan provides AI-powered assistance for software development, part of a broader wave of tools reshaping how engineers and businesses approach programming tasks. The surge in adoption reflects growing reliance on AI models to write, review, and optimize code across industries.
The company did not specify exact subscriber numbers but indicated that usage growth has significantly increased infrastructure and operational demands.
AI Competition Intensifies
The pricing update comes amid intensifying competition in China’s AI sector, where domestic firms are racing to expand their generative AI capabilities. Coding assistants have emerged as one of the most commercially viable AI applications globally, attracting both startups and established technology companies.
As AI development accelerates, companies are balancing rapid user growth with the costs of computing power, model training, and cloud infrastructure.
