Key facts
- SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son forecasts AI development will require $5 trillion annually by 2040.
- Son dismissed concerns about an AI bubble as "absurd."
- He expects AI revenue to represent 20% of global GDP by 2040.
- AI data centers will require 3 terawatts of power generation by 2040.
- Son predicts a future society dominated by 100 trillion AI agents.
SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son has projected that the development of artificial intelligence will necessitate an annual investment of $5 trillion by the year 2040. He dismissed any notions of a bubble forming around AI technology as "absurd," asserting that the business model will be viable as AI revenue is expected to constitute 20% of global GDP by that time.
Son made these remarks at SoftBank's annual corporate conference in Tokyo, where he detailed the company's significant investments in AI, including tens of billions into OpenAI, data centers, and robotics firms. He estimated that AI data centers will require 3 terawatts of power generation by 2040, a figure equivalent to 1.8 times the current global power consumption, predicting that nuclear fusion will become the primary energy source.
He also outlined a vision for 2040 where 100 trillion AI agents would operate autonomously, leading to a shift from a human-centered to an agent-centric world. Son, known for his bold technology investments, acknowledged past ventures like WeWork that did not meet expectations but highlighted his continued conviction in transformative technologies like AI.