Sakana Fugu

nickandbro

Very interesting. I wonder if its kinda functions similarly to how OpenRouter's fusion API does. Hopefully isn't too long to respond.

ed_mercer

So basically... openrouter?

ljlolel

I’ve also developed and open-sourced Mythos level model using fusion/synthesis on TrustedRouter https://trustedrouter.com/blog/fusion-evals-open-source

eevmanu

Reminds me of < https://github.com/irthomasthomas/llm-consortium >

embedding-shape

> Frontier-level performance without single-vendor dependency. [...] Plug collective intelligence directly into your workflows today with a single API. Does multiple vendors run this "single API" or how is this not replacing a single-vendor dependency for another single-vendor dependency?

bprasanna

Isn't this what perplexity is?

adamnemecek

Seems kinda underwhelming considering they raised like $400M.

nixosbestos

AI noob question, is this like Amp? I just use Amp, I ask it to do neat stuff and it does it. I desperately need to invest in my AI skills but every day I open two new tabs and add it to "AI stuff" folder, and then go back to drowning in work to do.

GolfPopper

This is a joke, right?

puttycat

Can someone explain this in layman terms? I don't understand any of it

david_shi

Their research around building a domain specific model is pretty cool, it's kind of like Karpathy's autoresearch but pointed at deciding the optimal model to use at each step of the inference. If cost becomes an even bigger problem being able to choose "best performance possible" or "strong but cost effective" will be useful. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2512.04695

prodigycorp

ngl, I thought sakana.ai was doing cooler stuff than this. that said, the release of a product like this makes sense because it follows your natural intuition when using these models. The best way to use LLMs is to have at least two in your pocket, because the models do a good job at covering each others assets and filling in obvious model-specific blindspots. it's interesting that they're offering in the form of fixed cost subscription plans too. My impression was that the first party providers can do this because they api inference margins to the tune of 80ish percent. Anyone else orchestrating on top of these models have to pass through these costs or eat it themselves.

holistio

You pay $200/month to Anthropic, $200/month to OpenAI, $200/month to Cursor, $200/month to $200/month to Google, and seeing that it didn't come to a nice round $1024/month, you pay $200/month to Sakana to coordinate it all, because why not. While you're at it, feel free to send me $200 as well, I'll generate a crypto address ending with "AI".

rvz

Just letting you guys know that the model is not a moat.

cortesi

As a developer outside the US I think it's vital to have alternatives to OpenAI and Anthropic, but sadly this is not it. For $200/month you get < 3 hours of use per week, the API is extremely slow, and the output quality in my tests is nowhere near Fable. It's nowhere remotely near usable as a day-to-day workhorse. Very disappointing. https://x.com/cortesi/status/2068898694238486658

epsteingpt

Beta user: they piloted OpenRouter fusion before it was seen as the viable step. Everyone's understood for months now that having different models check each other is the best path forward. This gets you that in a nice neat package, without the underlying tinkering mechanics. If (big iff) the usage mechanics work out, then this is actually a really good anti-big-model strategy. They'll be incentivized for your success, not token-maximizing for their investors. The team is super smart too. What's not to like? Wishing them the best on launch.

chvid

This would have been much more interesting and impactful if it had relied on open source models rather than commercial models that are only availble via an API. The reasoning chains could have been used, and the resulting combined model could easily and effectively have been distilled.

Lethalman

https://xkcd.com/927/

chenzhekl

I probably will never pay to Sakana, as they are involved in military contracts. https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/defense-security/20...