SoftBank and OpenAI Team Up for Transformative AI in Japan

Japanese tech giant SoftBank Group and OpenAI have formed SB OpenAI Japan, a new joint company to advance AI integration in business. With a $3 billion annual investment, their AI service Cristal aims to transform firms by automating tasks like planning and marketing.

In a significant move to leverage artificial intelligence, Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group and OpenAI announced their joint venture, SB OpenAI Japan.

During an event in Tokyo, SoftBank Chief Masayoshi Son and OpenAI Chief Sam Altman promoted their collaboration, encouraging Japanese businesses to engage.

An exciting development from this partnership is the AI service Cristal, showcased by Son with a shiny blue crystal ball. Cristal is designed to assist companies with tasks such as planning, marketing, emails, and decoding old source codes. Initially, Cristal will be deployed within SoftBank's companies, including Arm and PayPay, with plans to invest $3 billion annually in its integration.

Altman highlighted the deep research capabilities of ChatGPT, allowing it to perform complex tasks like report generation by accessing vast amounts of data online, available in Japanese.

The partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of transformative AI across influential global companies, beginning with Japan.

This initiative aligns with the larger Stargate project, involving SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle, focusing on significant investments in AI infrastructure, with expansion plans beyond the U.S.

(With inputs from agencies.)