SoftBank's Masayoshi Son: "AI Revolution Will Bring Changes 50 Times Greater Than the 'Dot-Com Revolution'"

Revealed in CNBC Interview
"We Are Only at the Beginning of the Internet Era"
"OpenAI Exposure Not Significant... Greater Weight on Arm"

Masayoshi Son, Chairman of SoftBank Japan, predicted that the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution will bring about changes 50 times greater than the "dot-com revolution" of the 2000s.

Masayoshi Son, Chairman of SoftBank Japan, arrived at the Élysée Palace on the 1st (local time) for a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and exchanged greetings. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

In an interview with the U.S. economic media outlet CNBC on June 1, Son stated, "The AI revolution will be more than 10 times, perhaps even 50 times, greater than the dot-com revolution." He added, "AI is the largest technological revolution humanity has ever experienced," and emphasized, "We are only at the very beginning, comparable to the early days of the internet."

Regarding the collapse of the dot-com bubble and examples such as the plunge in automobile and electronics stocks during the Great Depression of 1929, he stressed, "Corrections always happen, but in the long run, they become the best investment opportunities." These two events are often cited as representative comparisons alongside concerns of an AI bubble.

Addressing concerns that SoftBank's exposure to risk through its investment in OpenAI is excessive, Son countered, "Our stake in OpenAI accounts for just over 20% of the group's net asset value (NAV)," and clarified, "Our largest asset is the UK semiconductor design company Arm Holdings, which makes up more than half of our NAV."

SoftBank is a key investor in OpenAI. Including an additional $30 billion invested this year, its cumulative investment has reached $60 billion. As a result, SoftBank's stock price has frequently fluctuated in line with trends in the semiconductor and AI sectors.

Son expressed his optimism regarding OpenAI, saying, "It will become a very successful company," and indicated anticipation for a potential initial public offering (IPO) in the future. According to reports by foreign media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, OpenAI is already preparing for a possible listing as early as the second half of this year.

Meanwhile, SoftBank recently announced an AI infrastructure investment plan worth 75 billion euros ($87 billion) in France. By 2031, it plans to establish a 3.1 GW AI data center in the northern region of the country.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.