Top Japan start-up Sakana AI touts nature-inspired tech

Ha, a Hong Kong-born Canadian and long-term Japan resident, is a former Google Brain research scientist who previously traded derivatives for Goldman Sachs. — AFP

TOKYO: When David Ha started an AI company in Japan with his former Google colleague, they had a choice: create another huge, energy-intensive tool like ChatGPT, or go their own way.

Since its 2023 launch, the value of their firm Sakana AI has soared past US$1bil (RM4.21bil), becoming Japan's fastest start-up to reach so-called unicorn status.