TOKYO, May 14 (News On Japan) –
SoftBank Group introduced its consolidated earnings for the fiscal yr ending March 2026 on May thirteenth, posting what was described as the very best quarterly revenue ever recorded by a Japanese firm, as consideration more and more focuses on Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son’s aggressive technique of betting closely on synthetic intelligence.
Speaking ultimately yr’s shareholder assembly, Son outlined his long-term imaginative and prescient for the corporate, saying SoftBank goals to develop into “the world’s number one platformer in the field of ASI” throughout the subsequent decade.
ASI, or Artificial Super Intelligence, refers to AI methods able to surpassing human intelligence and probably bettering themselves autonomously. While consultants stay divided on when such know-how might develop into actuality, Son has made clear that dominating this subject has develop into SoftBank’s central ambition.
To assist that objective, SoftBank has accelerated a collection of large investments in AI-related companies. In 2025, the corporate introduced plans to accumulate U.S.-based semiconductor design agency Ampere Computing for six.5 billion {dollars}, whereas additionally investing 20 billion {dollars} into OpenAI. This yr, SoftBank unveiled a further financing bundle for OpenAI alongside plans for a 500 billion dollar AI-focused information middle venture.
The group can be advancing “Stargate,” a large-scale infrastructure initiative geared toward constructing AI computing foundations throughout the United States to assist OpenAI’s future operations.
Takashi Sugimoto, commentator for The Nikkei, mentioned Son’s latest strikes might seem sudden however are literally the results of preparations stretching again greater than a decade.
According to Sugimoto, SoftBank’s technique rests on 4 pillars: AI fashions, bodily AI, AI chips, and infrastructure. AI fashions embody methods equivalent to ChatGPT, whereas “physical AI” refers to robotics and autonomous driving applied sciences. The infrastructure aspect primarily facilities on information facilities and semiconductor networks.
Sugimoto argued that Son’s strategy has persistently targeted on controlling each the “top” and “bottom” layers of technological ecosystems — that means each the infrastructure and the providers working on prime of it.
He pointed to SoftBank’s early broadband enterprise, Yahoo BB, within the early 2000s for instance. At the time, the corporate famously distributed free broadband modems exterior prepare stations throughout Japan, quickly increasing its web infrastructure footprint. Simultaneously, SoftBank invested closely in web platforms equivalent to Yahoo and Alibaba.
The identical technique later emerged in cell communications. Before buying Vodafone Japan, Son reportedly approached Steve Jobs about growing what would later develop into the iPhone, displaying that SoftBank’s ambitions prolonged far past merely proudly owning telecom networks.
Sugimoto mentioned Son was by no means all in favour of changing into “just a mobile carrier,” however as an alternative sought to dominate the broader cell web platform ecosystem.
The firm has additionally traditionally prevented large-scale manufacturing operations, preferring to outsource {hardware} manufacturing whereas specializing in the “brains” behind know-how. Pepper, SoftBank’s humanoid robotic launched greater than a decade in the past, was manufactured by Taiwan’s Foxconn, whereas SoftBank focused on software program and platform improvement.
Sugimoto famous that this philosophy traces again to SoftBank’s founding in 1981 as a software program distribution firm. Even then, Son sought unique agreements with each prime software program creators and distributors, reflecting the identical “control both layers” technique seen right now in AI.
As for Son’s function mannequin, Sugimoto mentioned the SoftBank founder has lengthy admired oil magnate John D. Rockefeller, founding father of Standard Oil.
Rockefeller not solely managed oil manufacturing but in addition constructed the transportation infrastructure wanted to assist America’s rise as an automotive superpower. Sugimoto mentioned Son has tried to duplicate this mannequin within the data and AI industries by securing each the infrastructure and the functions earlier than the market absolutely matures.
One key facet of Son’s philosophy is making main investments earlier than a know-how reaches mainstream adoption. Rockefeller started constructing Standard Oil a long time earlier than cars turned widespread, and Son seems decided to place SoftBank forward of the anticipated AI growth in comparable style.
Still, the technique carries dangers.
Sugimoto mentioned Son himself as soon as described the corporate’s best administration threat as “if I suddenly die,” highlighting considerations over succession planning at SoftBank.
The firm beforehand appeared to have a successor in Nikesh Arora, who joined SoftBank roughly a decade in the past, however Arora finally departed the group. At current, no clear successor has emerged.
Son had beforehand steered he would retire in his 60s, however as he approaches 70, analysts more and more imagine he has deserted any concrete retirement timeline.
Given his acknowledged ambition of constructing SoftBank the world’s main ASI platform inside 10 years, Sugimoto steered Son is prone to stay actively concerned for at the very least one other decade as he makes an attempt to show his long-envisioned AI empire into actuality.
Source: テレ東BIZ