21 March 2024 – Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based startup co-founded by two former Google researchers, unveiled a groundbreaking approach to AI model development inspired by evolution. Using a method called “model merging,” the company combined existing AI models with evolutionary principles to create innovative generations of models. With three Japanese language models released, including two open-sourced, Sakana AI aims to revolutionize the AI landscape and establish Tokyo as a prominent hub for artificial intelligence innovation.
Sakana AI’s founders, David Ha and Jones, known for their contributions to Google’s transformative research on deep learning architectures, have attracted significant investment to their new venture. Alongside other notable startups led by former Google talents, such as Character.AI and Cohere, Sakana AI is poised to drive advancements in generative AI technology.
