Ep. 48 (AI Futures) - How Can India and Japan Navigate the AI Race? Ren Ito, CEO, Sakana AI and Anirudh Suri

In this episode of the *AI Futures* Podcast, host Anirudh Suri sits down with Ren Ito, the Co-founder and CEO of Sakana AI—Japan’s fastest-ever unicorn startup.Ren brings a unique perspective to the table, blending 15 years of experience in the Japanese Foreign Service with leadership roles at tech giants like Mercari. They explore why the future of AI isn't just a "bigger is better" arms race and how countries like India and Japan can carve out their own strategic autonomy in a shifting global landscape.In this episode, we unpack key questions including:• Is the "scaling law" of AI sustainable? • Is the "bigger is better" approach only be for a handful of hyperscalers, and how the rest of the world can find a different, more efficient path?• How can nations achieve "strategic autonomy" in a bipolar US-China tech world? • Can we balance AI progress with ecological sustainability? • Will AI create a new "digital divide" in the workforce? • What does "AI as Soft Power" mean for global diplomacy? From the "switchboard" approach to model building to the role of AI as a form of soft power, this conversation dives deep into the intersections of technology, diplomacy, and the human element.🔔 Subscribe and listen to the full conversation now.-----Follow the India AI Impact Summit 2026: https://impact.indiaai.gov.in/*About Ren Ito*Ren Ito is the Co-Founder and COO of Sakana AI, Japan’s fastest unicorn after one year in business, backed by Nvidia and a broad spectrum of Japanese enterprises. Previously, Ren was CEO of Mercari Europe, Japan’s first unicorn. Before tech, Ren spent 15 years as a Japanese diplomat where he worked on the security alliance with the US, negotiated a free trade agreement with the EU, and represented Japan at the World Bank board. *About Anirudh Suri, Host of the Podcast*Anirudh Suri is a non-resident scholar with Carnegie India, where his research and writing focus on technology, artificial intelligence and geopolitics. He is the author of The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations, and host of The Great Tech Game Podcast. He is also the Managing Partner at India Internet Fund, a US and India based technology-focused venture capital fund. Previously, Anirudh has worked with the Government of India in New Delhi, McKinsey and Co in New York, Goldman Sachs in London, the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC, and China Institute of International Studies in Beijing. He completed his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School. Named a Goldman Sachs Global Leader, Anirudh has also served on the Board of the Harvard Alumni Association.The Great Tech Game by Anirudh Suri - https://amzn.eu/d/1Su38My Follow Anirudh here:X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/anirudhsuriLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anirudhsuri/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anirudh_suriFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnirudhSuri.inWebsite: (http://www.anirudhsuri.com/) Book and Podcast: (http://www.greattechgame.com/)#IndiaAI #IndiaAIImpactSummit2026 #AIFuturesPodcast #AISummit #tgtgpodcast #anirudhsuri#AI #renito #thegreattechgame #aifuturespodcast #ArtificialIntelligence #Geopolitics #Sustainability #SakanaAI #TechSovereignty #IndiaAI #FutureOfWork #AIStrategy #uschina