SoftBank sets sights on leading the Artificial Super Intelligence race

TOKYO, June 27 — SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son announced an ambitious new vision for the Japanese tech investment giant: to become the world’s leading platform for artificial super intelligence (ASI) within ten years. Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Son emphasized SoftBank’s long-term goal of becoming the central force in the next era of AI innovation.

Son described ASI as a future stage of AI capable of outperforming human intelligence by a factor of 10,000. He positioned SoftBank's ambitions alongside global technology giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google—companies that have capitalized on dominant positions in past technological waves. “We want to become the organiser of the industry in the artificial super intelligence era,” Son told shareholders.

In pursuit of this goal, SoftBank has returned to making bold investments reminiscent of its early, high-risk strategy—one that famously included a lucrative early stake in Alibaba, as well as costly missteps like its investment in WeWork. Recent AI-focused deals include the $6.5 billion acquisition of U.S. chip designer Ampere and a commitment of up to $40 billion in new funding for OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.

According to Son, SoftBank has invested $32 billion in OpenAI since its initial stake in late 2024. Expressing some regret at not backing the company earlier, he reaffirmed his strong commitment: “I’m all in on OpenAI,” he said, adding that he anticipates a future public listing for the AI firm.

SoftBank previously held a roughly 5% stake in Nvidia before selling in 2019—years before Nvidia became the dominant supplier of AI chips and one of the world’s most valuable companies following the AI boom triggered by ChatGPT’s release.

Son’s renewed investment strategy comes after a period of contraction that followed the sharp decline in value of many high-growth startups backed by the Vision Fund. However, the successful listing of chipmaker Arm in September 2023 helped turn the tide. The rise in Arm’s stock has since strengthened SoftBank’s balance sheet, enabling new investment opportunities backed by its asset base.

While promising continued financial discipline, Son said SoftBank remains positioned to take calculated risks when the timing is right, noting that the company has retained both the capital and reach needed to pursue major opportunities even through volatile market cycles.