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SoftBank CEO: AI revolution to be 50 times bigger than dot-com bubble
🇵🇱 Poland /Technology

SoftBank CEO: AI revolution to be 50 times bigger than dot-com bubble

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son announced a 75 billion euro investment in AI infrastructure in France, predicting the AI revolution will be 50 times larger than the dot-com bubble.
  • Son compared the current AI stage to the early days of the internet, emphasizing its transformative potential despite potential market corrections.
  • The investment aims to build data centers totaling 5 GW by 2031, positioning France as an AI hub in Europe and contributing to the continent's digital sovereignty.

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son believes the artificial intelligence revolution will dwarf the dot-com bubble, predicting it will be "50 times larger." Speaking to CNBC, Son stated that humanity is only at the "beginning of the internet" stage of AI development.

I think it is more than ten times larger, and probably 50 times larger than the dot-com revolution.

— Masayoshi SonSoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son's comparison of the AI revolution to the dot-com bubble in an interview with CNBC.

This bold prediction follows SoftBank's announcement of a 75 billion euro investment to build AI infrastructure in France, including data centers with a combined capacity of 5 GW. Son views AI as the "greatest technological revolution and the greatest change humanity has ever experienced." He drew parallels to the 1929 stock market crash, suggesting that market corrections, while inevitable, present significant investment opportunities.

However, some Wall Street analysts remain skeptical. They point to the substantial investment required for data centers and the potential for the sector to overheat, questioning the expected return on investment within the projected timeframe. SoftBank has been actively investing in AI, including a partnership with OpenAI on the Stargate project for AI infrastructure in the U.S.

This is the greatest technological revolution and the greatest change humanity has ever experienced. We are only at the stage corresponding to the beginnings of the internet.

— Masayoshi SonSoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son describing the current stage of AI development.

Son downplayed concerns about SoftBank's reliance on OpenAI, noting that the investment constitutes just over 20% of the company's net assets. The largest asset remains Arm Holdings, a semiconductor design company. SoftBank's new French venture, its largest AI infrastructure project in Europe, aligns with the continent's push for "digital sovereignty." The project aims to build 3.1 GW of data center capacity by 2031 in the Hauts-de-France region, with Son emphasizing Europe's need for its own AI infrastructure and his desire to make France an AI center in Europe.

Investments will be huge. We are developing similar projects in the US and we want to use this momentum to make France an AI center in Europe.

— Masayoshi SonSoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son on the scale of investment and France's role in European AI development.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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