source: techcrunch ai: asian ai startups launch mythos-like models as anthropic’s export ban drags on
level: business
chinese cybersecurity firm 360 unveiled tulongfeng, an ai tool for finding software vulnerabilities, claiming it rivals anthropic's mythos. the launch came with a warning from founder zhou hongyi about the risk of one-way transparency in vulnerability detection. separately, tokyo-based sakana ai released fugu, a model designed for agent orchestration that can coordinate other models through apis. sakana says fugu matches leading models like anthropic's fable 5 and mythos preview.
sakana ai stated the timing was coincidental, but its website notes the model delivers frontier capability without export control risk. the company, founded by former google researchers, builds affordable models optimized for japanese language and culture. it targets japanese businesses and government agencies seeking to reduce reliance on us ai. however, sakana acknowledges us models remain important in asia and does not see a permanent shift away from them.
the us export ban on mythos and fable 5 has been in effect for two weeks. anthropic's run-rate revenue crossed $47 billion in may 2026, though its asian customer share is unknown. local alternatives are emerging, trained on local languages and nuances. sakana's ceo described orchestration models as the next frontier and argued collective intelligence hedges against power concentration. 360 did not respond to requests for comment.
why it matters: export controls on advanced ai models are prompting asian startups to build local alternatives, potentially reshaping global ai supply chains and access to frontier technology.
source: techcrunch ai: asian ai startups launch mythos-like models as anthropic’s export ban drags on