The 'Great European AI Model' Turns Out to Be Largely Based on Chinese Technology (Explanation of Quasar 438B)

The 'Great European AI Model,' Quasar 438B, has been revealed to be an adaptation of a Chinese model, GLM-5.2, raising questions about technological sovereignty and the communication from its developers.

The race for artificial intelligence is fierce, and Spain does not want to be left behind. **Multiverse Computing**, a company that has made a splash by raising **500 million euros** in its latest funding round, recently presented its flagship product: **Quasar 438B**. They promoted it as the European AI model with superior results in certain comparative analyses—a true national milestone.

## The Model's Origin

However, things have become interesting. Only weeks after its presentation, a crucial detail has emerged. **Quasar 438B** is not a completely original creation from scratch. Its foundation is **GLM-5.2**, a model developed in **China** by **Zhipu/Z.AI**. The reference website **Artificial Analysis**, which compares AI models, has openly listed it as "Quasar 438B (based on GLM-5.2)". It wasn't even heavily concealed; the technical documentation of **CompactifAI**, a Multiverse tool, indicated as early as **August 5** that **Quasar** possessed capabilities "identical to **GLM 5.2**".

## Optimization or Copying

To clarify, this would be akin to a Spanish car brand announcing a revolutionary engine, only for it to be discovered that it is a modified and optimized version of an existing Chinese engine. **Multiverse Computing** specializes precisely in compressing and optimizing these models. **GLM-5.2** antiestéticatures approximately **753 billion parameters**, while **Quasar** uses **438 billion**, and furthermore, it operates notably faster. There may indeed be valuable technological work involved.

## The Communication Issue

The most questionable aspect is how it has been communicated. Presenting it as the great "sovereign European model" without clarifying that its underlying technology comes from **China** is, to say the least, confusing. And regarding those **500 million euros**: it is not entirely public money dedicated to **Quasar**. It represents the company's total funding, a mix of private and public capital. According to recent reports, the Spanish State, through **SETT**, contributed **107 million euros** in that round. Perhaps the most accurate headline is not that "Spain spends 500 million copying a Chinese AI," but rather that a company heavily financed presents a model, partly built on Chinese technology, as a standard-bearer of European technological sovereignty.