MUFG Enters Partnership Agreement with Sakana AI

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and its consolidated subsidiary, MUFG Bank, have entered into a partnership agreement with Sakana AI, an AI R&D company, and have retained Ren Ito, COO of Sakana AI, as AI Advisor. Under the partnership agreement, MUFG Bank and Sakana AI will establish a long-term strategic technology partnership for a period of more than three years.

MUFG Bank’s aim is to leverage the innovative technologies provided by Sakana AI to address management challenges and create high-value-added impacts on management. Initially, it will apply the expertise of Sakana AI’s The AI Scientist to automate the creation of internal and external documents that require complex thinking and advanced specialized knowledge.

Ren Ito, who has been retained as AI Advisor, graduated from the University of Tokyo and has experience in diplomacy and global business operations at Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mercari. He co-founded Sakana AI and has been serving as its COO. Through his advisory role, Ito will provide advice and participate in MUFG’s AI intelligence activities, leveraging his cutting-edge knowledge in the AI field, extensive global experience, and network. He will support networking, provide information to the management team, and offer advice on AI strategy.

In its Medium-term Business Plan, which commenced in April 2024, MUFG has committed to enhancing its AI capabilities and data infrastructure to achieve data-driven management as well as to improve productivity and customer value. This commitment falls under the theme “Accelerate Transformation & Innovation,” which is one of the plan’s three pillars. By leveraging this partnership and the AI advisory role, MUFG aims to further elevate its AI strategy.