Japan Charts Independent Path for AI-Powered Defense Command as Pentagon Accelerates Military AI Deployment

Japan is preparing to integrate domestically developed artificial intelligence into its Self-Defense Forces command and control system, marking a significant shift in how modern militaries make battlefield decisions. The government is weighing options including Sakana Fugu, a domestic AI developed by Tokyo-based Sakana AI K.K., alongside foreign alternatives like Palantir Technologies' Maven Smart System, as it seeks to speed up and improve the accuracy of SDF commander decision-making while preserving what Japan calls "AI sovereignty."