On Wednesday, Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 unveiled Tulongfeng, an AI tool it says can go head-to-head with Anthropic’s Mythos — the cybersecurity-focused AI model so powerful the Trump Administration has banned its export, along with its restricted version Fable 5, from non-US hands. Earlier the same week, Tokyo-based Sakana AI launched Fugu, a frontier model named after the Japanese word for blowfish, which the company claims “stands shoulder-to-shoulder with leading models like Anthropic’s Fable 5 and Mythos Preview.”
The two product launches come as the US government’s export order, now in its third week, continues to restrict global access to Anthropic’s most advanced AI systems. The ban prevents Anthropic from distributing Mythos and Fable 5 to non-American customers, creating a vacuum that Asian startups are rapidly moving to fill.
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Sakana AI’s Fugu: A Hedge, Not a Replacement
Sakana AI, co-founded in 2023 by former Google researchers Ren Ito, Llion Jones, and David Ha, specializes in affordable generative AI models that work with small datasets and are optimized for Japanese language and culture. A company spokesperson told TechCrunch the timing of Fugu’s release was “entirely coincidental,” though the company has not shied away from capitalizing on the moment. Its website advertises “delivering frontier capability without the risk of export controls.”
“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. “We were confident in the product on its own merits; the timing simply happened to coincide with a moment that brought it more attention than we expected.”
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Fugu is designed for agentic workflows, with the ability to orchestrate access to other models through their APIs. David Ha, co-founder and CEO of Sakana, described it as more than a land grab during a vulnerable moment for a US competitor. “Orchestration Models are the next frontier, beyond bigger models,” he wrote on X. Relying on a single provider for national infrastructure, he argued, is a risk the recent export controls made impossible to ignore. “Access to top models can disappear overnight,” he wrote. “Collective intelligence is the practical hedge against this concentration of power.”
While Sakana is targeting Fugu at Japanese businesses and government agencies looking to reduce their exposure to tightening export controls, it isn’t proclaiming a lasting shift away from US AI in Asia. “U.S. models remain important to Asia,” the spokesperson said, a view consistent with remarks co-founder Ren Ito made at the G7 summit in Evian last week, where AI access and export controls were central topics. In an op-ed published in Project Syndicate, Ito urged the US federal government to “preserve access” for its closest allies, arguing that “AI should not become a technology that is hoarded; it should be one that is developed together.”
China’s 360 Takes a Harder Line
While Tokyo-based Sakana positioned Fugu as a hedge strategy, China’s 360 wasn’t hedging. The Chinese firm unveiled two AI security tools: Tulongfeng, designed to automatically discover software vulnerabilities, and Yitianzhen, built to automate cyber defense and incident response. According to Reuters, 360’s founder Zhou Hongyi described vulnerability-finding AI as a national strategic asset and flagged what he called the risk of “one-way transparency” — a situation in which some actors could access advanced vulnerability-detection capabilities while others could not. 360 did not respond to a request for comment.
Anthropic’s Growth Trajectory and the Gap Left Behind
Anthropic had been on a historic growth trajectory. The US AI lab said its run-rate revenue crossed $47 billion in May 2026. How much of that depends on Asian enterprise customers is not publicly known. But in the weeks since the export order took effect, at least two companies — one in Tokyo, one in Beijing — have stepped into the space it left behind.
Even if US companies could win back trust should this ban ever end, local alternatives trained to better understand local language and nuance are already filling the gap. The question for Anthropic and other US AI labs is not just when the ban will lift, but whether their Asian customers will return.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the US export ban on Anthropic’s models?
The Trump Administration has banned the export of Anthropic’s most advanced AI models, Mythos and Fable 5, to non-US entities, citing national security concerns. The order has been in effect for two weeks.
What is Sakana AI’s Fugu model?
Fugu is a frontier AI model designed for agentic workflows, capable of orchestrating access to other models through their APIs. It is optimized for Japanese language and culture and targets businesses and government agencies looking to reduce exposure to US export controls.
What is 360’s Tulongfeng?
Tulongfeng is an AI tool from Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 that automatically discovers software vulnerabilities. It was presented as a national strategic asset by founder Zhou Hongyi.
Are these models a permanent shift away from US AI?
Not necessarily. Sakana AI’s spokesperson said US models remain important to Asia, and the current moment is not a permanent realignment. However, local alternatives trained on local language and nuance are filling the gap left by the export ban.
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