
Sakana AI bets AI that improves itself can break the compute arms race of frontier labs
Quick Answer
Sakana AI has launched a research lab focused on recursive self-improvement (RSI) to challenge the compute arms race dominated by major US labs.
Quick Take
Co-founded by Llion Jones, this Japanese startup aims to develop AI that iteratively enhances itself, while Anthropic raises concerns about the control risks associated with such technology.
Key Points
- Sakana AI focuses on recursive self-improvement to reduce reliance on raw compute power.
- The startup was co-founded by Llion Jones, a notable figure in AI development.
- Anthropic warns about potential control risks of recursive self-improvement technology.
- The initiative aims to provide an alternative to the compute arms race among frontier labs.
- Sakana AI's approach could reshape the landscape of AI development and research.
Source Excerpt
Sakana AI has launched a dedicated research lab for recursive self-improvement: AI that iteratively improves itself. The Japanese startup, co-founded by Transformer co-author Llion Jones, sees RSI as an alternative to the raw compute arms race among big US labs. Anthropic, meanwhile, warns about the control risks of this very technology.
Want this in your inbox every morning?
Daily brief at your local 8am — bilingual EN/中文, free.
More from The Decoder
See more →
An AI model programmed nonstop for 19 days on a single MirrorCode task that cost $2,600 to run
Epoch AI's MirrorCode benchmark reveals Claude Opus 4.7 as the leader with a 56% solve rate, reconstructing a 16,000-line toolkit in 14 hours. Despite this, all models tested struggle with the most complex tasks, highlighting limitations in current AI capabilities. The single task consumed $2,600 over 19 days, raising questions about cost-effectiveness in AI development.

