Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group and artificial intelligence pioneer OpenAI have announced the formation of a new joint venture, SB OpenAI Japan. The collaboration marks a significant milestone in integrating AI technologies into different industries in Japan.
SoftBank's Chief, Masayoshi Son, and OpenAI's Chief, Sam Altman, confirmed the partnership at an event in Tokyo, emphasizing the transformative potential of their collaboration. Holding a gleaming blue crystal ball as a symbol, Son introduced SoftBank's new AI service, Cristal. He explained that Cristal could revolutionize business operations by aiding in planning, marketing, email management, and deciphering old source codes.
"This will be super-intelligence for the company. I'm so excited," said Son, highlighting the immense potential of the new AI service.
In the initial stage, Cristal will be deployed within SoftBank's companies, including the semiconductor and software firm Arm and the electronic payment service PayPay. SoftBank plans to invest $3 billion annually to integrate Cristal across its portfolio of companies.
SoftBank plans to automate over 100 million workflows through Cristal, enhancing efficiency and creating new business opportunities through secure data training and AI agent integration within its ecosystem.
Junichi Miyakawa, President and CEO of SoftBank Corp., also expressed his enthusiasm about partnering with OpenAI. He highlighted SoftBank's commitment to advancing AI in society through initiatives like developing distributed AI data centers and top-level AI computing platforms in Japan.
"I'm greatly looking forward to seeing how we can transform Japan's businesses through our partnership with OpenAI," said Miyakawa. "By supporting the implementation and utilization of Cristal intelligence, we'll transform the management and operational practices of our clients."
"This partnership with SoftBank will accelerate our vision for bringing transformative AI to some of the world's most influential companies, starting with Japan," Altman continued.
This collaboration is part of the larger Stargate project, supported by the U.S. President Donald Trump, which aims to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States. The partnership between SoftBank and OpenAI is poised to revolutionize the AI landscape in Japan, encouraging other companies to join the AI revolution.