On Wednesday, Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 reportedly unveiled Tulongfeng, an AI tool it claims can compete directly with Anthropic's Mythos. Mythos is a cybersecurity-focused AI model so powerful that the Trump Administration has banned both it and its more restricted version, Fable 5, from non-American access in 2026.
Earlier the same week, Tokyo-based AI startup Sakana AI launched Fugu, a model named after the Japanese word for blowfish. The company says this frontier AI model “stands shoulder-to-shoulder with leading models like Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos Preview.” Designed for agents, Fugu can orchestrate access to other models through their APIs, enabling flexible, multi-model workflows.
These two new Asian AI products arrive as the U.S. government’s export ban on Mythos and Fable enters its third week. The order, which restricts Anthropic from providing global access to these models, took effect on June 10, 2026. The ban has created a vacuum that Asian startups are rushing to fill, with 2026 marking a pivot toward regional AI sovereignty.
A Sakana AI spokesperson told TechCrunch that the timing of Fugu’s release was “entirely coincidental,” but that hasn’t stopped the company from capitalizing on the moment. Its website advertises “delivering frontier capability without the risk of export controls.” The spokesperson elaborated: “Sakana Fugu has been in development since last year; the research behind it was presented at ICLR this spring. It reflects an approach central to how we deliver frontier-level value at Sakana AI. The product stands on its own merits—the timing simply coincided with a moment that brought it more attention than expected.”
Sakana, co-founded in 2023 by former Google researchers Ren Ito, Llion Jones, and David Ha, creates affordable generative AI models optimized for small datasets and tailored to Japanese language and culture. While Fugu targets Japanese businesses and government agencies seeking to reduce exposure to tightening export controls, the company does not yet see a permanent shift away from U.S. AI in Asia.
“U.S. models remain important to Asia,” the spokesperson said, echoing remarks co-founder Ren Ito made at the G7 summit in Evian last week, where AI access and export controls were central topics. “We’d characterize the current moment in those terms rather than as a permanent realignment toward any one set of players.”
In an op-ed published in Project Syndicate last week, Ren Ito urged the U.S. federal government to consider that its “first priority should be to preserve access” for America’s closest allies, arguing that “AI should not become a technology that is hoarded; it should be one that is developed together.”
David Ha, co-founder and CEO of Sakana, described Fugu as more than just a strategic move during a vulnerable moment for U.S. competitors. It is designed to coordinate agent usage across many models, enabling seamless integration and reducing reliance on any single provider. As 2026 unfolds, this multi-model approach could reshape how Asian markets navigate export controls while maintaining access to frontier AI capabilities.
via TechCrunch AI