- Physical AI and robotics are the next trillion-dollar business opportunities, said SoftBank Group Corp.’s CEO, Masayoshi Son.
- He expressed that both humanoid and industrial robotics excited him, with “physical AI as a core” component of future growth.
- The SoftBank chief made the comments a day after the company unveiled plans to invest 75 billion euros in AI infrastructure in Franc
Physical AI and robotics are the next trillion-dollar business opportunities, SoftBank Group Corp.'s CEO, Masayoshi Son, has said. In an interview with CNBC's Arjun Kharpal on Monday, Son was asked what sectors excited him most.
He responded that both humanoid and industrial robotics excited him, with “physical AI as a core” component of future growth.
The SoftBank chief made the comments a day after the company unveiled plans to invest 75 billion euros (about $87 billion) in AI infrastructure in France. The initiative includes the development of 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity, marking one of the company's largest AI infrastructure commitments to date.
During the same interview, Son also described the ongoing AI revolution as “50 times bigger” than the dot-com boom of the early 2000s. He argued that the technology was still in its early stages.
“This is just the beginning of a technological revolution,” Son said, predicting that the AI-driven technological revolution could continue for the next 50 to 100 years.
Addressing concerns about overheating in the AI sector, Son rejected the notion that the industry was experiencing a bubble. Acknowledging that market corrections were inevitable, he argued such periods often created attractive investment opportunities.
Drawing parallels with the aftermath of the 1929 Wall Street Crash and the dot-com bubble, Son noted that markets eventually recovered and reached significantly higher levels, supported by strong profitability and cash flows.
“That kind of thing is going to happen. There may be some correction, but that will be the best investment opportunity time,” he said.
SoftBank has continued to deepen its presence across the AI and robotics ecosystem. In April, reports suggested the company was preparing a potential $100 billion IPO for its new AI and robotics venture, Roze AI, later this year. The venture is focused on improving the efficiency of AI infrastructure deployment, including the use of autonomous robots in data center construction and operations.
Over the years, SoftBank has built a portfolio spanning key layers of the technology stack, with major investments in Alibaba, OpenAI and Arm helping transform the Japanese conglomerate into a leading AI-focused investment platform. The strategy has also helped SoftBank surpass Toyota as Japan's most valuable company by market capitalization.
According to Reuters, SoftBank has enlisted Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Mizuho and Morgan Stanley to work on the planned IPO of Roze AI.
