SoftBank's Masayoshi Son says AI revolution is 50x bigger than dot-com boom, eyes robotics

Softbank's Masayoshi Son reveals where he sees the next trillion-dollar opportunity

Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son has identified physical AI and robotics as the next trillion-dollar company opportunity. Softbank has deployed capital across the technology stack, with landmark investments in Alibaba , OpenAI and ARM transforming the Japanese multinational into an AI platform which has helped it overtake Toyota to become the country's most valuable company. Asked by CNBC's Arjun Kharpal what sectors excite him most, Son said "both" humanoid and industrial robotics, "with physical AI as a core." Son spoke to CNBC on Monday after Softbank unveiled plans on Sunday for a 75 billion ($87 billion) investment in AI infrastructure in France, including 5 GW of AI data center capacity. He told CNBC that AI is potentially "50x bigger" than the dot.com boom -- but denied that there is an AI bubble, adding that "this is just the beginning" of a technological "revolution" that could last 50 to 100 years. 9434.T-JP YTD mountain Softbank. While "there is always a correction", such times are often ripe with investment opportunities, he added. He said that following both the 1929 Wall Street Crash and the dot.com bubble, markets later rose much higher, "with big profitable free cash flow." "That kind of thing is going to happen," Son said. "There may be some correction, but that will be a best investment opportunity time."

AI revolution is '50x bigger' than the dotcom boom: SoftBank's Masayoshi Son to CNBC

The AI revolution is 50 times bigger than the Dotcom revolution in the 2000s, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son told CNBC Monday. "I think this is like more than 10x, probably 50x bigger than dotcom," Son told CNBC's Arjun Kharpal in Paris, a day after the company announced that it's investing 75 billion euros ($87 billion) to build AI infrastructure in France, including 5 GW of AI data center capacity. "Even dotcom there was a bubble and burst, but then right after that, the peak of the dotcom bubble, the year 2000, was not really a peak. It was like a small hill. It went down, but then it went much, much bigger." Softbank's investment, which marks the company's largest AI infrastructure investment in Europe, involves building 3.1 GW of AI data centers in the northern Hauts-de-France region by 2031, including in Dunkirk, Bosquel and Bouchain. "It's a massive size of investment coming," Son told reporters during a Monday press briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron. "We are doing that in the U.S. already, we are expanding a lot in the U.S., so we have the momentum, which we can make France the center of Europe, and Europe needs this kind of AI technology." The Japanese investment giant is partnering with French engineering company Schneider Electric to establish a large-scale industrial production hub in Dunkirk as part of the broader buildout.

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son Predicts AI Will Dwarf Dot-Com Boom | PYMNTS.com

Speaking with CNBC, Son said that while there is "always a correction," history shows that auto and electronics stocks bounced back and enjoyed a long run after the 1929 Wall Street crash, and the internet came back after the dot-com crash in the 2000s, CNBC reported Monday. Referring to AI, Son said, "There may be some correction, but that will be the best investment opportunity to me." Son also said during the interview that the AI revolution is probably 50 times bigger than the dot-com one, and that it is "the biggest revolution of technology and realization that mankind ever experienced." A day before Son spoke with CNBC, SoftBank announced it is investing €75 billion (about $87 billion) to build AI data center capacity and other AI infrastructure in France. The company said in a Sunday (May 31) press release that its AI data centers in the country will support growing demand for high-performance computing from AI companies, cloud providers, enterprises, public institutions and research organizations, while its large-scale industrial production cluster will provide a more localized and more resilient supply chain for data center infrastructure in France and Europe. "AI is entering a new era, and the countries that build the infrastructure for this transformation will shape the future of technology, industry and society," Son said in the release. "SoftBank is proud to make this major commitment to France. With its industrial capabilities, talent base and national ambition, France is uniquely positioned to become a leading AI infrastructure hub in Europe." Son said in June 2024 that "artificial super intelligence (ASI)" that is 10,000 times smarter than humans would be achieved within 10 years and would deliver "a big improvement" to humans' lifestyle. SoftBank announced in October that it plans to complement its existing investments in AI and robots by acquiring ABB's robotics business for $5.375 billion. The company said ABB's robotics business is a globally recognized brand with extensive sales channels and customer relationships, and SoftBank's investment in cutting-edge technologies can "reignite the robotics business's growth."