Masayoshi Son announced plans to make SoftBank the world’s number-one platform in the upcoming "ASI" era during a shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday [1].
The ambition signals a massive pivot toward the physical and digital infrastructure of artificial superintelligence. By targeting a dominant position in AI models and semiconductors, Son seeks to position SoftBank as the primary global provider for the next era of the economy [1, 2].
Speaking at the meeting in Tokyo, Son said he intends to lead the company for another 10 to 15 years [1]. He said he believes he can still contribute to the company's growth while in his 70s [1].
Son set a target valuation for SoftBank of 1,000 trillion yen [1]. To reach this scale, the company is focusing on a vertical integration of technology. This strategy involves combining semiconductors, the models that run on them, and massive data centers to create a powerful "cerebral" infrastructure [2].
This vision follows a history of aggressive scaling. Son said that the company has previously seen growth increases of 15x and 25x over 16-year periods [1]. To support this new trajectory, some reports indicate planned AI-related investments exceeding 10 trillion yen [2].
The focus will span four primary pillars: AI models, semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and robotics [1, 2]. This approach aims to ensure that SoftBank owns both the hardware and the software driving the transition to artificial superintelligence.
“"1,000 trillion yen"”
Son's focus on 'ASI' (Artificial Superintelligence) suggests a move beyond generative AI toward a more integrated, autonomous system. By targeting a 1,000 trillion yen valuation, SoftBank is betting that the convergence of robotics and high-performance computing will create a new asset class of infrastructure, moving the company from a venture capital aggregator to a foundational utility for the global AI economy.
