SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son has outlined an ambitious new direction for the Japanese investment giant, revealing his vision for SoftBank to become the world’s leading platform provider for “artificial super intelligence” (ASI) over the next decade.
Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Son said: “We want to become the organiser of the industry in the artificial super intelligence era.” He drew comparisons between his goal and the dominance enjoyed by major US technology firms such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, describing the ASI sector as one likely to be governed by a “winner takes all” dynamic.
Son, a long-time advocate of disruptive technologies, has defined artificial super intelligence as a form of AI capable of surpassing human abilities by a factor of 10,000. His latest strategy signals a bold return to the kind of aggressive investment approach that once defined SoftBank’s rise — from early success with Alibaba to high-profile setbacks like WeWork.
This year, SoftBank has already made significant moves in the AI space. The group acquired US semiconductor designer Ampere for $6.5 billion and has underwritten as much as $40 billion in new investment in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. Son confirmed that SoftBank’s total committed investment in OpenAI now stands at $32 billion since its initial funding in autumn 2024. “I’m all in on OpenAI,” he said, also expressing regret over not having invested sooner. He added that he expects OpenAI to pursue a public listing in the future.
SoftBank previously held a 5% stake in Nvidia but divested in 2019 — prior to the 2022 AI boom catalysed by ChatGPT’s release. Nvidia has since emerged as the dominant player in AI chipmaking and one of the world’s most valuable companies.
The group’s renewed focus on high-growth technology comes after a period of retrenchment. Following the decline in valuations of portfolio companies from 2022, SoftBank had adopted a more cautious stance. However, its fortunes reversed with the $5 billion IPO of chip designer Arm in September 2023. The appreciation in Arm’s share price has significantly strengthened SoftBank’s asset base, allowing it to leverage its holdings for further investment.
In June, SoftBank raised an additional $4.8 billion through the sale of a portion of its stake in T-Mobile. Despite the company’s risk-on posture, Son assured shareholders that SoftBank remains committed to disciplined investment, maintaining the financial capacity and strategic user base needed to act decisively during industry inflection points.
-Reuters
