SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son outlined his ambitious goal to bring about artificial superintelligence, a form of AI that far surpasses human abilities, at the company’s annual general meeting. Son dismissed SoftBank’s past investments, including successful bets on firms like Alibaba and Arm Holdings, as merely a warm-up for his ultimate dream of realizing artificial superintelligence. While the details of his plan were not provided, Son identified opportunities in sectors such as AI robots, autonomous driving, and data centers, and expressed his intention to pursue deals that would support Arm and keep SoftBank relevant in the AI age.
Son’s bold pronouncements on AI signal a major shift in SoftBank’s strategy. The company had previously adopted a more cautious posture after experiencing losses in its flagship Vision Fund, but it has now shifted back to an “offense mode” to capitalize on the AI boom. Despite its renewed focus on AI, SoftBank’s commitments in the sector have remained relatively small compared to its potential. The firm has already invested in AI chipmaker Arm and led a $1 billion funding round for self-driving group Wayve in Europe’s largest AI deal to date.
Son emphasized that realizing artificial superintelligence is his central priority moving forward, declaring, “This is what I was born to do.” His wealth, largely derived from his stake in SoftBank, has positioned him as Japan’s second-richest person with a net worth of approximately $32.5 billion. Despite Son’s ambitious plans, SoftBank Group shares were down more than 3% by market close in Tokyo on Friday.
As SoftBank gears up to make substantial investments in the AI sector, shareholders watch closely to see how the company will execute its strategy. With Son’s determination to bring about artificial superintelligence and capitalize on the AI boom, the tech investor’s grand vision for the future of SoftBank’s investments and holdings is poised to reshape the industry. Investors and industry analysts will be closely monitoring SoftBank’s moves in the coming months to see how the company navigates the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and technology.
