Masayoshi son doubles down: SoftBank bets big on human-centric AI, dismissing bubble fears

Masayoshi Son’s leadership at SoftBank is defined by an extraordinary long-term vision, as he plans to remain CEO for another 15 years to personally oversee the evolution of AI into a force that enhances human happiness. This commitment aligns with his framing of artificial superintelligence (ASI) not as a replacement for humanity but as a continuation of human evolution, where the fusion of human intelligence and ASI aims to extend cognitive capabilities while preserving ethics and well-being. Son’s philosophy underscores that “human needs to connect to human and try to aim for the happiness for each other,” reflecting a deeply humanistic approach to technology’s future.

SoftBank’s strategic acquisitions in robotics across multiple sectors exemplify Son’s integrated vision of AI combined with physical execution to solve real-world challenges. By assembling top companies in their respective fields, SoftBank is building a robust ecosystem where intelligent robots can address high-risk tasks, disaster rescue, labor shortages, and critical areas like healthcare and cybersecurity. This approach is part of a broader 50-year plan, articulated by Son, to develop ASI as a platform provider that sustainably creates value and drives human evolution rather than mere automation.

Masayoshi Son’s foresight into artificial superintelligence dates back over a decade, highlighting his consistent and visionary leadership in AI and robotics. As early as June 2010, Son anticipated the rise of ASI, positioning SoftBank well ahead of the curve and demonstrating a strategic patience rare in the tech industry. This long-term perspective, culminating in the ambitious AI 2027 roadmap, underscores his dedication to realizing ASI as a transformative force for humanity’s future.

Son’s conceptual shift from AI as a mere question-answering tool to an autonomous agent capable of independent thought and action marks a pivotal evolution in SoftBank’s AI strategy. By early 2026, he emphasized that AI should no longer require detailed instructions but instead operate agentically, aligning its decisions with shared human goals. This transition reflects a maturation of AI technology toward greater autonomy and integration into daily life, reinforcing SoftBank’s commitment to pioneering advanced AI that acts proactively for human benefit.

SoftBank’s $40 billion investment in OpenAI exemplifies a bold, war-time mentality toward AI development, where Masayoshi Son embraces significant upfront costs and dilution to secure long-term dominance rather than short-term financial gains. This approach is reflected in OpenAI’s aggressive stock-based compensation strategy, which now accounts for 46% of revenue and pays employees on average $1.5 million each—34 times higher than comparable pre-IPO tech firms—underscoring a strategic priority to attract elite talent and build the largest AI platform without concern for dilution.

Masayoshi Son’s strategic vision anticipates the AI revolution will demand unprecedented financial and infrastructural resources, projecting $5 trillion in annual spending through 2040 to support AI innovation and deployment. This massive commitment includes preparing for AI data centers requiring 3 terawatts of power—nearly double today’s global consumption—highlighting SoftBank’s readiness to underwrite the ecosystem’s explosive growth and transformative economic impact, which Son confidently argues renders concerns about an AI bubble as fundamentally misguided.

The scale of OpenAI’s stock-based compensation is likely even greater than reported due to accounting methods that amortize costs based on initial stock prices, meaning the economic value transferred to employees to secure top AI talent is understated. This hidden magnitude of compensation further illustrates SoftBank’s willingness to invest heavily in human capital as a cornerstone of its AI strategy, reinforcing the company’s commitment to winning the AI race through sustained, aggressive talent acquisition and retention.

Masayoshi Son’s metaphor of the 'golden goose' and its 'eggs' encapsulates SoftBank’s vision of AI as a self-sustaining engine of continuous value creation, where the company itself—the goose—produces ongoing innovations and assets (the eggs) rather than relying on one-time gains or asset appreciation. This framework underscores SoftBank’s long-term commitment to artificial superintelligence (ASI) as a foundational technology integrated across sectors like healthcare, education, and cybersecurity, aiming to generate both economic and social value sustainably over decades.

SoftBank’s 50-year strategic plan reflects a patient, phased approach to realizing ASI, with milestones spanning from building a finance war chest in Son’s 40s to fully completing the business in his 50s, and continuing leadership into his 60s. This timeline highlights a deliberate focus on sustainable value creation through continuous innovation and market expansion, rather than short-term speculation, aligning with Son’s optimistic vision of AI delivering happiness and broad societal benefits.

Despite SoftBank’s net asset value soaring from JPY 3 trillion to JPY 74 trillion over 16 years, the market persistently undervalues the company’s core value-creation engine—the goose—by pricing its market capitalization at roughly half its NAV. This discount reflects a broader market skepticism that overlooks SoftBank’s role not merely as a holding company but as a dynamic platform whose judgment, capital allocation, and deal-making capabilities drive compounding growth and sustainable long-term value in its AI portfolio.

Masayoshi Son emphatically rejects the notion of an AI investment bubble, describing such talk as 'blasphemy against AI' and labeling questions about a bubble as 'an absurd proposition' that reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of AI's transformative potential. This strong dismissal underscores his conviction that AI's long-term value far outweighs short-term market speculation or valuation concerns.

Son projects that the AI revolution will require sustained annual investments of around $5 trillion through 2040, a figure he considers a justified and relatively minor cost given AI's anticipated economic impact. He confidently forecasts that AI-related revenue could account for 20% of global GDP by 2040, making current investment expenses a mere rounding error in the grand scheme of global economic transformation.