Sakana AI and Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 have launched competing AI models amid ongoing US export restrictions on Anthropic's Mythos and Fable 5 systems. The Tokyo-based startup unveiled Fugu, positioning it as a frontier model that can orchestrate access to multiple AI systems through APIs, targeting Japanese businesses seeking alternatives to US-controlled technology.

Anthropic's export ban, implemented two weeks ago under the Trump Administration, prevents non-American access to its powerful Mythos model and the restricted Fable 5 variant. The ban follows concerns about the model's cybersecurity capabilities, with Sakana AI's spokesperson claiming their Fugu launch timing was coincidental but acknowledging the increased attention. Meanwhile, 360 introduced Tulongfeng for automated vulnerability discovery and Yitianzhen for cyber defense automation.

Founded in 2023 by former Google researchers Ren Ito, Llion Jones, and David Ha, Sakana AI focuses on affordable generative models optimized for Japanese language and culture. The company emphasizes orchestration over raw model size, arguing that relying on single providers for national infrastructure creates unacceptable risks when access can disappear overnight.

While these Asian alternatives capitalize on the current regulatory gap, Sakana maintains that US models remain important to the region. However, local models trained on regional data and cultural nuance are already filling voids left by export controls, potentially reshaping AI adoption patterns in Asia as Anthropic's $47 billion run-rate revenue business faces restricted market access.