SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son has unveiled an ambitious vision for the Japanese tech investment giant to become the world’s leading platform provider for artificial super intelligence (ASI) within the next decade.
Speaking at SoftBank’s annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Son declared, “We want to become the organiser of the industry in the artificial super intelligence era,” signalling a strategic pivot from past bets in hardware and telecommunications to a more AI-centric future.
Artificial super intelligence refers to a hypothetical level of AI that far surpasses human intelligence in virtually all areas. While still a theoretical concept, interest in increasingly powerful AI systems has surged since OpenAI’s ChatGPT captured global attention in late 2022. Son believes the world is heading toward this next frontier of intelligence and wants SoftBank to be at the centre of it.
Son, who is known for his bold visions and high-stakes investments, previously led SoftBank into major technology bets, including a roughly 5% stake in Nvidia, the leading AI chipmaker. However, SoftBank sold that stake in 2019 well before Nvidia’s market value soared amid the current AI boom.
SoftBank’s transformation comes as the company regains momentum following turbulent years marked by losses in its Vision Fund and tech market volatility. Now, with renewed focus, Son appears determined to realign SoftBank with the emerging AI revolution. While specific strategies were not detailed, Son’s comments suggest that SoftBank will play a more active role in building or supporting foundational platforms necessary for ASI development.
The group’s future bets may involve investing in cutting-edge AI startups, acquiring intellectual property, or developing infrastructure to support ASI, including data centres, computing power, and specialized AI chips. Son emphasized that SoftBank is positioning itself to become the backbone of the new AI age, rather than merely a participant.
As global tech giants race to harness the transformative power of AI, SoftBank’s bold vision could reshape its future and potentially the future of artificial intelligence itself. However, the path to artificial super intelligence remains uncertain, and achieving leadership in such a complex and nascent field will demand immense innovation, resources, and strategic foresight.
