In detail
- Sakana AI (founded 2023 by former Google researchers) unveiled Fugu as a frontier model matching Fable 5 and Mythos Preview, optimized for Japanese language and culture.
- 360 (Chinese cybersecurity firm) announced Tulongfeng as a direct Mythos competitor.
- Sakana explicitly markets Fugu as an alternative free from US export control risk; research was presented at ICLR in spring.
Why it matters
US export controls are accelerating regional AI ecosystems—companies outside America can now switch to local models, driving global fragmentation of AI markets.
For you Evaluate whether Asian models become relevant for your European operations to reduce dependency on US government clearances.