SoftBank Founder Masayoshi Son Makes Bold AI Bet to Secure Future Dominance
Tokyo, Japan — Masayoshi Son, the founder and CEO of SoftBank Group, is making what experts call his most ambitious bet yet by staking the future of his technology empire on artificial intelligence (AI). His strategy involves a comprehensive investment across the entire AI landscape — from semiconductor design to AI software and autonomous robotics — aimed at positioning SoftBank at the forefront of the global race toward artificial superintelligence.
Son predicts that artificial superintelligence (ASI) — a form of AI potentially 10,000 times smarter than humans — could be realized within the next decade. To capitalize on this, SoftBank has committed billions of dollars into companies and projects aligned with this vision. Most notably, SoftBank holds the chip design company Arm, valued at over $145 billion, and is moving forward with a $6.5 billion acquisition of Ampere Computing, a leading semiconductor maker specializing in cloud and AI chips.
Further solidifying its AI portfolio, SoftBank has invested nearly $32.7 billion in OpenAI, the creator of the widely-used GPT AI models, alongside funding startups focusing on AI infrastructure, enterprise solutions, healthcare, autonomous driving, and robotics. This integrated approach aims to build a robust AI ecosystem designed to deliver long-term value.
Neil Shah, a technology analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, “Mr. Son’s vision is to integrate these components into a powerful AI ecosystem designed for long-term value.” Despite setbacks during the Vision Fund’s earlier ventures — such as robotics and ride-hailing platforms — which led to record losses in 2022, SoftBank has recommitted its core strategy to AI as its main growth driver going forward.
President Son’s interest in AI dates back over a decade, including early investments in robotics (like the humanoid Pepper robot) and autonomous vehicle technologies. The current push, however, is notably larger and more focused, taking place amid fierce competition from global tech giants in the U.S. and China striving for artificial general intelligence (AGI), a key step toward superintelligence.
SoftBank’s ongoing partnership with OpenAI extends beyond investment. The two are collaborating on projects such as the “Stargate Project,” which will establish next-generation AI infrastructure in the U.S., providing the intensive computing power essential for the future advancement of OpenAI’s models. Another major initiative, “Cristal intelligence,” is an enterprise AI system tailored for diverse business needs. By the end of 2025, SoftBank plans to deploy this AI agent across 2,500 internal business systems and subsequently roll it out to other Japanese companies.
These initiatives demonstrate Son’s commitment to embedding AI deeply within SoftBank’s operations, from payroll and sales to inventory and engineering systems, in a bid to transform the company into one of the world’s largest AI-powered enterprises.
Industry insiders note that while the AI sector remains volatile, with emerging challengers such as China’s DeepSeek entering the fray, Son remains undeterred. A former Vision Fund executive remarked, “He wants to ensure SoftBank is a real player in AI, and he’s making it happen.” This vision appears to be paying off financially as well. Recent reports indicate SoftBank swung to profit after its latest AI-focused investments began yielding returns, signaling early success on this high-stakes gamble.
With Son’s long-term outlook, SoftBank is not just investing in existing AI companies but aiming to become a foundational platform provider for ASI technologies, which could redefine industries and economies worldwide. This bet on AI may well shape the next era of technological innovation.