SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son aims to foster an era of ‘super’ AI in new investment drive

Son outlined ambitions to help create AI thousands of times smarter than any human

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SoftBank Group Corp founder, chairman and chief executive Masayoshi Son, 66, says he wants to change the world before he leaves it for good. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:05pm, 21 Jun 2024Updated: 3:54pm, 21 Jun 2024

Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank Group Corp’s big-talking founder Masayoshi Son is back, this time with plans to bring about an era of artificial superintelligence (ASI).

Son sketched out ambitions to help create artificial intelligence (AI) thousands of times smarter than any human, making his most grandiose pronouncements since the SoftBank began taking steps to shore up its finances following a series of ill-timed start-up bets.

Sounding both more energised and more reflective than he has in years, Son on Friday talked about a future when chips designed by Arm Holdings support a thriving ecosystem of robots and powerful data centres that can collectively cure cancer, clean houses and play with children.

Son, at times visibly overtaken with emotion, talked about how he wanted to change the world before he leaves it for good. The 66-year-old invoked his late friend Steve Jobs, saying their frequent conversations often left him in tears when he realised his legacy would pale in comparison with the Apple co-founder’s.

SoftBank Group Corp founder, chairman and chief executive Masayoshi Son, centre, speaks during the company’s annual general meeting in Tokyo on June 20, 2024. Photo: Bloomberg

But after grappling with his failures over the past year, during which his entrepreneurial father passed away, Son said he woke up with an epiphany on Friday morning. “I had my answer,” Son told shareholders gathered at an annual meeting. “I made some checks, and I see my path forward.”