GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Qwen 3.8 all beat 'frontier' models from just 10 months ago

burny_tech · x · 2026-09-21

Developer TheAhmadOsman points out that open-source models — GLM 5.3 Flash, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Qwen 3.8 Next Flash, and even Qwen 3.8 27B — now outperform every model considered "frontier intelligence" at Christmas 2025, only 10 months ago, in both intelligence and capabilities.

His takeaway: open-source AI is on fire, and the shelf life of a closed frontier lead has shrunk to under a year — with smaller, cost-efficient variants now matching yesterday's flagship closed models.

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