Masayoshi Son Calls AI Bubble Talk an ‘Insult,’ Delays Retiring
(Bloomberg) — SoftBank Group Corp.’s Masayoshi Son brushed aside concerns about an AI bubble, saying that such a characterization is inappropriate for a revolution that’s only just begun. He vowed to remain at the helm of his investment group much longer to capitalize on the AI boom.
The Japanese founder said that, even at age 68, he remains eager to accelerate the global adoption of AI and build SoftBank into one of the world’s preeminent AI-powered robotics companies. For this, he would remain in his post for another 10 or 15 years, he said during an annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday.
“The AI revolution has only just begun. For an industry that is still at such an early stage, calling it a bubble is an insult,” he said. “I don’t have time to retire,” he added, referencing SoftBank’s pursuit of what he sees as fundamental long-term technologies.
Son’s remarks underscore his unwavering belief in the growth of AI and the companies providing the core technologies and infrastructure that will power its development. A day earlier, he said there’s more than enough room for OpenAI and its biggest rivals Anthropic PBC and Alphabet Inc.’s Google to grow “ten-fold, a hundred-fold,” despite stiff competition.
SoftBank, which owns roughly 90% of chip designer Arm Holdings Plc, has been accelerating its investments into AI-related companies. It has committed to investing about $65 billion in OpenAI and has agreed to acquire ABB Ltd.’s robotics unit at a value of roughly $5.4 billion.
“One of the main themes of our new vision is physical AI, robots equipped with super intelligence,” Son said. “Artificial super intelligence won’t be replacing humans. But it will help humans evolve. It’s a tool for human advancement, a colleague and a partner.”
SoftBank plans to establish and list an AI and robotics company called Roze in the US in a bid to expand its presence in the fast-growing sector, people familiar with the matter have said. The company aims to create and float such a vehicle as soon as this year, though the timing on that could slip to 2027.
Son said processors manufactured by Arm will be increasingly in demand as the rollout of AI applications expands globally. The tech investor said SoftBank is on track to achieve its earlier goal of reaching ¥200 trillion ($1.2 trillion) in market value by 2040. SoftBank shares gained 1.3% on Wednesday, giving it a market capitalization of ¥38 trillion.
“So what am I going to do in my seventies? It’s artificial super intelligence,” he said. “We are going to pursue ASI all the way through, without holding anything back. And if I’m to take on something like that, I won’t be content unless we’re the best. That’s simply the kind of person I am.”
(Updates to add Son’s comments and details throughout)
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