Masayoshi Son Predicts AI Will Drive 20% of Global GDP

During an annual corporate conference in Tokyo, Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank Group, dismissed concerns about an artificial intelligence investment bubble as "absurd" and "foolish." Son projected that by 2040, AI-related industries and the world of superintelligence will replace approximately 20% of global GDP. He estimated that the global economy will require $5 trillion in annual investments for chips, data centers, and energy infrastructure, describing this cost as a "rounding error" relative to the potential gains.

To support this transition to an agent-centric world featuring 100 trillion AI agents, Son noted that AI data centers will require 3 terawatts of power by 2040, eventually relying on nuclear fusion. SoftBank is funding this vision through aggressive investments, including a commitment to OpenAI expected to exceed $60 billion by the end of 2026. To finance these expansions, the company previously sold its stake in Nvidia and recently launched a battery business in Japan.

These strategic moves align with SoftBank's recent financial growth. The company reported that fiscal year profits through March rose nearly five-fold to 5 trillion yen ($32 billion), a surge driven largely by its AI investments.