SoftBank and OpenAI Announce Joint Venture in Japan for AI Services
SoftBank Group CEO, Masayoshi Son, revealed a collaboration with OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, to establish a joint venture in Japan. The new entity, named SB OpenAI Japan, will provide advanced artificial intelligence services to corporate clients. This venture will be jointly owned by OpenAI and a company formed by SoftBank and its domestic telecoms division. Additionally, SoftBank has committed to an annual payment of $3 billion to leverage OpenAI's cutting-edge technology across its group of companies.
In a strategic move to deepen ties with OpenAI, SoftBank is considering a substantial investment ranging from US$15 billion to US$25 billion in the company. Furthermore, SoftBank is allocating $15 billion towards Stargate, a collaborative effort with OpenAI and Oracle aimed at enhancing AI capabilities in the United States. The recent launch of Stargate marked the second public appearance of Masayoshi Son alongside former President Donald Trump since his election in November.
The emergence of China's DeepSeek, a formidable player in AI technology, has prompted investors to scrutinise the significant investments being made in this sector. OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, highlighted the increasing demand for computational power, stating, "The world is going to just need so much compute." Masayoshi Son's continued support for OpenAI underscores his resurgence as a key player in the investment landscape, following a period of setbacks due to SoftBank's tech portfolio devaluation and notable missteps.
Masayoshi Son's track record of forging partnerships with tech companies in the United States dates back to SoftBank's introduction of the iPhone to Japan in 2008. In a show of further collaboration, Son and Altman recently met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to discuss the future of AI technology and its implications for Japan's innovation landscape.
SoftBank and OpenAI join forces to establish SB OpenAI Japan for AI services
SoftBank to invest US$15-25 billion in OpenAI and US$15 billion in Stargate joint venture with Oracle
OpenAI's technology to be integrated across SoftBank group companies with a US$3 billion annual payment
Source: REUTERS