MUFG Bank, Sakana AI to use AI for loan documents: Nikkei

MUFG Bank, Sakana AI to use AI for loan documents: Nikkei

MUFG Bank and Sakana AI, a Japanese artificial intelligence startup, have partnered to automate the creation of banking documents, including credit approval memos, under a ¥5 billion ($34 million) agreement. The collaboration, announced in May 2025, marks a key phase in MUFG's broader digital transformation strategy to integrate AI across its operations. Sakana AI's The AI Scientist, an agentic system initially developed for scientific research automation, will be deployed to generate documents for MUFG's banking subsidiary starting in July 2025.

The partnership spans three years and includes the development of AI-specific tools tailored to the financial sector, with Ren Ito, Sakana AI's co-founder and COO, serving as an AI advisor to MUFG. MUFG aims to leverage AI to enhance decision-making processes, reduce manual workloads, and improve operational efficiency. For example, the bank has already implemented AI tools to automate corporate client proposals and mergers-and-acquisitions analysis, saving thousands of work hours annually.

MUFG's CEO, Hironori Kamezawa, emphasized that AI adoption is central to the bank's medium-term strategy, with a focus on automating complex tasks and fostering innovation. The initiative aligns with MUFG's goal to become an "AI-native" institution, integrating AI agents into workflows to complement human expertise. While the pilot phase targets loan documentation, the partnership's scope may expand to other business domains over time.

The collaboration reflects Japan's growing emphasis on AI-driven financial services, with institutions like DBS Bank and Ryt Bank also exploring similar technologies. MUFG's efforts are part of a broader industry trend to harness AI for efficiency gains and competitive differentiation.