TOKYO — Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based startup, launched Fugu, an AI model designed for orchestration, earlier in the week of June 27, 2026. The model utilizes agents with the capacity to access other models through their APIs. The company states that Fugu stands shoulder-to-shoulder with leading models like Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos Preview.

The launch occurred approximately two weeks after the U.S. government issued an order on June 13, 2026, preventing Anthropic from providing global access to its Mythos and Fable models. A Sakana AI spokesperson said the release of Fugu was entirely coincidental with the export ban. "Sakana Fugu is something we have been building since last year — the research behind it was presented at ICLR this spring, and it reflects an approach that is central to how we deliver frontier-level value at Sakana AI," the spokesperson said. The company targets Fugu for use by Japanese businesses and government agencies, and its website advertises delivering frontier capability without the risk of export controls.

Sakana AI co-founder Ren Ito made remarks regarding AI access and export controls at the G7 summit in Evian on June 20, 2026. Ito published an op-ed in Project Syndicate writing that the U.S. federal government's first priority should be to preserve access for America's closest allies. He added, "We'd characterize the current moment in those terms rather than as a permanent realignment toward any one set of players." Ito also wrote that "AI should not become a technology that is hoarded; it should be one that is developed together."

David Ha, CEO and co-founder of Sakana AI, posted on X that "Orchestration Models are the next frontier, beyond bigger models." He also wrote, "Access to top models can disappear overnight," and "Collective intelligence is the practical hedge against this concentration of power." Anthropic stated its run-rate revenue crossed $47 billion in May 2026. Sakana AI was founded in 2023 by former Google researchers Ren Ito, Llion Jones, and David Ha, and focuses on generative AI models optimized for the Japanese language and culture.