CEO Message—SoftBank Group Report 2026

The evolution of AI is truly remarkable. I myself ask ChatGPT questions many times each day, using it as a sounding board for ideas and to deepen discussions with my colleagues. However, the evolution of AI is not limited to these conversations. AI is now evolving into AI agents that think and act autonomously, working day and night to advance the goals we give them.

Beyond even agentic AI, lies the era of ASI (Artificial Superintelligence), when AI will far surpass human intelligence. ASI cannot just be high intelligence. It must be high intelligence that supports the evolution of humanity and operates in harmony with human reason and morality to better the lives of all people. I believe we should understand ASI not simply as Superintelligence with superior cognitive ability, but as Superintelligence in a broader, more human-centered sense, guided by wisdom. We aim to become the No. 1 Platform Provider for this new era of ASI.

When I was 19 and still in university, I drew up a 50-year life plan for myself as an entrepreneur: establish myself in my 20s, build a war chest in my 30s, take on major challenges in my 40s, achieve my vision in my 50s, and hand over the business to the next generation in my 60s.

I have stated this was my path many times and followed this 50-year life plan for many years. But now, at the age of 68, I find myself wanting to do more. I believe I have more to give to the growth of SBG and can continue working hard for another 10 or 15 years. With that in mind, I have decided to update my 50-year life plan to continue taking on challenges into my 70s. That challenge is bringing ASI to life. If I am going to achieve this, I cannot settle for anything less than leading the Group to be No. 1 in this powerful technology. I want us to become the undisputed No. 1 ASI Platform Provider in Japan, and in the world.

Humanity has continued to evolve over its roughly 300,000-year history. Over that time, our intelligence and ability to perform have been both our greatest strengths and the cause of our most acute limitations. With ASI, we will be able to overcome our limits and evolve further.

In 2010, at the 30th anniversary of our founding, we announced SoftBank’s Next 30-Year Vision. In it, we envisioned a future in which computers can learn and think on their own and connect to robots. What we described at the time as a “brain computer” is precisely what is now called ASI. We are now witnessing AI evolving into intelligence that surpasses that of humans, and that intelligence taking on the body of a robot and beginning to operate in the real world. The future we described in the Next 30-Year Vision is now becoming a reality before our eyes.

To be clear, I do not believe ASI will replace humans. ASI is powerful—but it is a tool, a colleague, and a partner in our evolution. It is something that will help us evolve. In education, it will serve as a tutor, helping advance each student’s learning experience. In research, it will become a diligent and capable assistant. In healthcare, it will support each patient through treatment and offer guidance tailored to their individual needs. And when ASI connects to robots, it will become physical ASI—intelligence with a physical manifestation—an entity that moves, works, and acts on its own in the real world. In dangerous areas—such as space, deep water, and disaster sites—and in physically challenging jobs—such as manufacturing, construction, and agriculture—these intelligent robots will help make our lives easier and advance humanity’s progress.

To bring this future to life, we need frontier AI models that generate intelligence in ASI, semiconductors that handle the enormous computing power required to run such models, AI infrastructure that integrates and operates those technologies, and robots that enable AI to work in the real world. We have prioritized these as our key focus areas and have made concerted efforts to position ourselves as a leader in each.

Our key partner in the AI model area, which governs intelligence, is OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. Its products have rapidly expanded from chatting to image generation, video generation, coding, and cybersecurity.

In semiconductors, Arm is becoming even more important. In the first phase of the AI evolution, which included conversations and image and video generation, GPUs that excelled at parallel computation played a major role. In the second phase, in which AI agents will take on active roles, CPUs that support complex processing and run entire systems will become a cornerstone of AI development. Arm has overwhelming strength in semiconductor design intellectual property, the core technology for CPUs. Furthermore, Arm has expanded its established IP business to include developing and selling chips. ^*1

At the core of the AI infrastructure are data centers and power. Enormous AI data centers and a substantial power supply are required to operate and keep the servers, which contain vast numbers of semiconductors, running continuously at scale and with stability. For this reason, in March of this year, we announced a public-private partnership project to develop a site in the U.S. state of Ohio that includes both 10 GW of power generation facilities and a 10 GW AI data center.^*2 In May, we also announced that we would develop and operate an AI data center with 5 GW of capacity in France.^*3

We are also making steady progress in robotics. Our portfolio includes numerous robotics companies with leading expertise across various fields. In October 2025, we also announced plans to acquire ABB’s robotics business, a global leader in industrial robotics.^*4 Once ASI is embedded into robots, we will have entities that can think, make judgments, and work independently and collaboratively.

In the board game Othello, the outcome is not determined solely by the number of pieces on the board early in the game. Once you secure the four corners in the middle of the game, the position can turn quickly in your favor. In the same way, the fact that we are moving toward securing the four key areas—the four corners of ASI—gives us a major advantage as we aim to become the No. 1 ASI Platform Provider.

SBG is a strategic investment holding company. In addition to subsidiaries such as Arm and SoftBank, we hold shares in portfolio companies such as OpenAI and ByteDance. The NAV (Net Asset Value), which is calculated by subtracting net interest-bearing debt from the value of these equity holdings, has now reached ¥74 trillion (as of June 23, 2026).^*5 This is twice as much as SBG’s market capitalization of ¥37 trillion as of the same date. In other words, the value of our equity holdings is still not fully reflected in our share price.

I have previously compared SBG to a goose that lays golden eggs. If each golden egg represents ¥1 trillion, in 2010 when NAV was ¥3 trillion, it would be three golden eggs. Over the last 16 years, this increased to ¥74 trillion in 2026, or 74 golden eggs.

For years, SBG has identified and invested in the core technologies of the Information Revolution as they evolve with the times. Through our unique organizational strategy, the Cluster of No. 1 Strategy, we have generated synergies and grown a wide range of Group companies and investees. Eggs do not lay eggs. Only the goose does. In other words, SBG is that goose: one that has continued to increase the number of eggs it lays, and whose value far exceeds the sum of the eggs visible today.

Now that we have passed the halfway point of the Next 30-Year Vision, I want us to take on another major challenge over the next 16 years. NAV grew 15X in the 16 years from 1994 to 2010, and 25X in the 16 years from 2010 to 2026. From here, over the same 16-year period, we aim to realize a NAV of ¥1 quadrillion in 2042 (see chart). This is not something we can achieve simply by adding up the golden eggs that are already visible. We are moving towards this future by securing our leadership position in the four key areas and by continuing to nurture businesses and portfolio companies that will become future golden eggs, through our Cluster of No. 1 Strategy.

Some people say there is an AI bubble. I disagree. The AI revolution has only just begun. The current evolution of AI resembles the early days of the internet. At that time, people also questioned whether it was merely a passing trend or overvalued. But afterward, tech companies such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft went on to grow significantly and reshaped the very structure of industries around the world.

If a person had the opportunity to travel back in time, I have no doubt that investing in those tech companies would be one of the first things they would do. The same thing is about to happen now with AI. AI is not just a single technology. It will transform every industry and dramatically expand the potential of human intelligence and execution. Its significance may even surpass the impact of the internet and smartphones.

That is why we must take on this challenge now. Decades from now, people will say, “That was the beginning of the ASI era.” We are determined to stand at the center of that era, look ahead and build toward the future.

Our overarching goal is not just to increase the value of our company. It is to realize, in an even greater form in the ASI era, our founding corporate philosophy: “Information Revolution—Happiness for everyone.”

ASI will expand the limits of human intelligence, while physical ASI will dramatically expand the scope of human activity. Opportunities for education will increase, the quality of healthcare will improve, people will be freed from dangerous jobs and grueling work, and new inventions and industries will emerge. If ASI is used in the right way, humanity will become richer, freer, and happier.

That is exactly why ASI must not be defined by cognitive capability alone, but in a fuller sense, guided by wisdom. Our mission is to spread, as a foundation for society, not only high intelligence but a higher intelligence that creates happiness for people and operates in harmony with human reason and morality.

Two and a half years ago, I was at my father’s side in his final moments. I often still recall the words he left me with: “When a tiger dies, it leaves behind its skin; when people die, they leave behind their names.” When I was a child, my father would come home from work, have a drink, sit me on his lap, and tell me, “Do not live your life for money. Live your life to make people happy.” I carry his words and teachings with me as I continue to drive our mission forward. We aim for a NAV of ¥1 quadrillion, but this is not about pursuing money. If it were, my father would scold me. What I am pursuing is a future in which we can bring happiness to more people.

As we evolve into the No. 1 ASI Platform Provider, we will augment human intelligence, further our ability to execute, and expand what is possible for humanity. Bringing happiness to as many people as possible through this endeavor is the very realization of our corporate philosophy: “Information Revolution—Happiness for everyone.”