Apertus 1.5 out – Latest version of Switzerland's open model (www.cscs.ch)

Apertus 1.5, the latest iteration of Switzerland's fully open language model, was announced on July 24, 2026, by ETH Zurich, EPFL, and the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS). This significant release builds upon prior feedback, enhancing the model’s capabilities to comprehend images and audio in addition to text. Recognized for its commitment to transparency, Apertus allows researchers and organizations to inspect, adapt, and improve upon its architecture, fostering a sovereign AI infrastructure aimed at providing an open alternative to proprietary models. The new version enhances reasoning, instruction-following, and tool-use capabilities, positioning Apertus as a versatile model for various applications in public administration, education, and industry. Notably, it has already been effectively utilized in projects like a government document translation service in Ticino and a tool for local journalism that scrutinizes political statements. The release of Apertus 1.5, along with the introduction of the Apertus Mini suite, underscores the Swiss AI Initiative's goal of promoting innovation while ensuring transparency and accountability in AI development, with accessible resources hosted on platforms like Hugging Face.