SoftBank Group, opens new tab CEO Masayoshi Son said on Monday he has agreed with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to set up a joint venture in Japan to offer artificial intelligence services to corporate customers.
The Japanese investment giant will also pay $3 billion annually to use OpenAI's technology across SoftBank group companies.
The joint venture, SB OpenAI Japan, will be owned by OpenAI and a company established by SoftBank and its domestic telecoms arm.
Son is moving to deepen his exposure to OpenAI, with SoftBank looking at investing $15 billion to $25 billion in the company, Reuters reported last week.
SoftBank is also committing $15 billion to Stargate, a joint venture with OpenAI and Oracle (ORCL.N), opens new tab to build AI capacity in the U.S., Reuters has reported.
The Stargate launch last month saw Son make his second appearance with Donald Trump since his election as president in November.
Son's backing for OpenAI reflects his reemergence as an investment force after a period of retrenchment sparked by the falling value of SoftBank's tech portfolio and a series of high profile stumbles.
He has a long history of partnering with tech firms in the U.S., with SoftBank bringing the iPhone to Japan in 2008.
The European Commission has warned Meta that it may face daily fines starting 27 June if its modified pay-or-consent advertising model fails to meet EU antitrust requirements under the Digital Markets Act.
Germany’s data protection commissioner has called on Apple and Google to block the Chinese AI app DeepSeek from their platforms over illegal data transfers and privacy concerns.
Azerbaijan’s top general observed major drills in Türkiye and met senior Turkish defence leaders, underscoring the allies’ growing military partnership.
Nike plans to reduce its reliance on China for U.S.-bound products to offset the financial blow from President Donald Trump’s new tariffs, as the sportswear giant posted better-than-expected fourth-quarter results and a milder revenue forecast.
Azerbaijan and China have deepened energy cooperation, with new agreements signed to advance green energy initiatives and improve Azerbaijan’s electricity transmission system in line with its renewable energy targets.
The United States and China have resolved disputes over rare earth mineral and magnet shipments, overcoming a key hurdle that had delayed a trade agreement reached in May.
The European Union plans closer cooperation with Pacific Rim nations under the CPTPP to advance global trade rules, but insists it is not seeking to replace the World Trade Organization.
The Kremlin has voiced strong concern over Estonia’s readiness to host NATO’s nuclear-capable F-35A jets, calling the move an immediate danger to Russia.
Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory has unveiled its first cosmic images, captured using the world's largest digital camera, paving the way for breakthroughs in understanding the solar system and monitoring asteroid threats to Earth.
At least nine people, including children and their rescuers, died after sudden floodwaters swept through a river in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, turning a family picnic into tragedy.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
The U.S. Embassy in Qatar has advised American citizens to shelter in place amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran, as part of a broader global security alert issued by Washington.
In a televised address on Saturday night, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced that American forces, in coordination with Israel, had conducted precision strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, aiming to dismantle Tehran’s enrichment capabilities.
Severe rain in Venezuela has caused rivers to overflow and triggered landslides, sweeping away homes and collapsing a highway bridge, with five states affected and no casualties reported so far.
President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, marking direct American involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
The United States and China have resolved disputes over rare earth mineral and magnet shipments, overcoming a key hurdle that had delayed a trade agreement reached in May.
The European Union plans closer cooperation with Pacific Rim nations under the CPTPP to advance global trade rules, but insists it is not seeking to replace the World Trade Organization.
The Kremlin has voiced strong concern over Estonia’s readiness to host NATO’s nuclear-capable F-35A jets, calling the move an immediate danger to Russia.
At least nine people, including children and their rescuers, died after sudden floodwaters swept through a river in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, turning a family picnic into tragedy.
North Korea plans to attract Russian tourists after opening its long-delayed Wonsan-Kalma coastal resort to domestic travellers in July, amid deepening ties with Moscow.
The United States and China have resolved disputes over rare earth mineral and magnet shipments, overcoming a key hurdle that had delayed a trade agreement reached in May.
The European Union plans closer cooperation with Pacific Rim nations under the CPTPP to advance global trade rules, but insists it is not seeking to replace the World Trade Organization.
The Kremlin has voiced strong concern over Estonia’s readiness to host NATO’s nuclear-capable F-35A jets, calling the move an immediate danger to Russia.
Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory has unveiled its first cosmic images, captured using the world's largest digital camera, paving the way for breakthroughs in understanding the solar system and monitoring asteroid threats to Earth.
At least nine people, including children and their rescuers, died after sudden floodwaters swept through a river in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, turning a family picnic into tragedy.
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