US export curbs spur Asian rivals to Anthropic as Chinese and Japanese firms unveil competing AI models

Asian AI startups are rushing to fill the gap left by U.S. export restrictions on Anthropic's advanced models, releasing their own competing systems. Chinese cybersecurity firm 360 unveiled Tulongfeng, a model it claims can match Anthropic's Mythos, while Tokyo-based Sakana AI launched Fugu, which it says is comparable to Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos Preview. These moves signal a rapid shift in the AI landscape as non-American developers seize the opportunity created by the Trump Administration's ban on exporting Anthropic's frontier AI to most of the world, TechCrunch reported.

"Fugu stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Anthropic's Fable 5 and Mythos Preview," Sakana AI said, according to TechCrunch. The Japanese startup's confidence underscores a growing wave of Asian innovation that U.S. policy may be accelerating rather than containing. By targeting the exact tier of AI that is now off-limits to foreign buyers, these new models directly challenge the assumption that export controls can preserve American dominance in the field.

TechCrunch noted that the developments suggest U.S. export restrictions "may be driving Asian competitors to build their own frontier AI capabilities, potentially costing American AI labs access to a massive market." If Asian buyers previously reliant on Anthropic's models now turn to local alternatives, the long-term commercial impact on U.S. AI companies could be significant, even if the technology gap remains narrow for now.

The emergence of Tulongfeng and Fugu represents just the beginning of what could become a sustained wave of rival systems. With both Chinese and Japanese players entering the fray, the global AI market is fragmenting along regulatory lines, and American firms may find themselves locked out of one of the world's fastest-growing technology economies.