SoftBank Bets Big: Masayoshi Son’s $32 Billion AI Gamble to Lead the Artificial Super Intelligence Age

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has set a bold new vision: to make the Japanese investment giant the world’s leading provider of artificial super intelligence (ASI) within the next decade. At the annual shareholder meeting in June 2025, Son declared his ambition to orchestrate the industry in the era of ASI—technology he describes as surpassing human intelligence by a factor of 10,000.

 

Key Highlights:

 

•⁠  ⁠Massive Investment Push: SoftBank is channeling up to $40 billion in new funding for OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT, with total pledged investments reaching $32 billion. “I’m all in on OpenAI,” Son stated, predicting OpenAI will become the world’s most valuable company.

 

•⁠  ⁠Strategic Acquisitions: The company acquired U.S. semiconductor design firm Ampere for $6.5 billion and continues to leverage its ownership of Arm, the UK-based chip powerhouse, to build a robust AI infrastructure.

 

•⁠  ⁠Platform Ambitions: Son likened SoftBank’s goal to the dominance of Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, aiming to benefit from a “winner takes all” dynamic in the AI sector.

 

•⁠  ⁠Risks and Rewards: SoftBank’s aggressive investment strategy, including early bets like Alibaba, has seen both spectacular successes and high-profile setbacks such as WeWork’s collapse.

 

•⁠  ⁠Future Plans: The company is reportedly exploring a $1 trillion AI industrial complex in the U.S. to cement its leadership in the ASI era.

 

Outlook:

With unparalleled investment firepower and a clear vision, SoftBank is positioning itself at the forefront of the next AI revolution. If successful, it could redefine global technology leadership for decades to come.

 

Sources: Reuters, Economic Times, Business Standard