Masayoshi Son, the founder and CEO of SoftBank Group, has dismissed concerns regarding an investment bubble in artificial intelligence as "foolish." Speaking to executives at an annual company event in Tokyo, Son compared doubts about AI to historical skepticism over the utility of cars and airplanes.
The $5 Trillion Infrastructure Requirement
Son estimates that nearly $5 trillion in annual global investment will be necessary to expand data centers, ramp up chip production, and establish the energy systems required for AI infrastructure. He predicted that by 2040, approximately 20% of global GDP will be driven by AI-related industries, ushering in what he terms a "world of superintelligence."
“Those who refuse to evolve are closing down their world. Those who condemn AI are themselves spitting upward,” Son remarked.
Financial Performance and Strategic Shifts
SoftBank Group recently reported that its profits for the fiscal year ending in March surged nearly five-fold to 5 trillion yen ($32 billion), driven by the success of its AI-focused investments. The company has committed $34.6 billion to OpenAI and strategically sold its stake in chipmaker Nvidia last year to reallocate capital toward data centers and broader AI infrastructure.
In anticipation of the massive electricity demand generated by AI, SoftBank has also launched a battery business in Japan. This venture aims to build next-generation power infrastructure to support the growing computational needs of the industry.
