SoftBank Aims for One Billion AI Agents by Year's End

SoftBank Group Corp., led by Chairman and President Masayoshi Son, unveiled an ambitious plan during a Tokyo event on July 16th. The company aims to deploy one billion artificial intelligence (AI) agents by the end of the current year. These agents are envisioned to function as replacements for human workers.

The AI agents are designed to handle a variety of tasks. They will be capable of answering questions, offering suggestions, and executing actions such as responding to emails, making reservations, and repairing systems. Son highlighted the potential for these agents to revolutionize operations, citing the example of automating maintenance and inspections across numerous system devices.

The strategy involves each SoftBank Group employee developing over a thousand personalized AI agents. These customized agents will be responsible for handling routine decisions and negotiations, effectively multiplying the capabilities of each employee. Son likened this concept to the Buddhist deity Senju Kannon, known for having a thousand arms. Furthermore, the company intends to develop an operating system to facilitate seamless collaboration among these AI agents.

The event also featured Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, a U.S.-based company collaborating with SoftBank Group. Their joint project, Stargate, focuses on constructing a network of large-scale data centers in the United States. Altman reported positive progress on this initiative. Additionally, the two companies previously announced the upcoming launch of Cristal Intelligence, an AI service tailored for businesses in Japan.

Son expressed concerns regarding the adoption of generative AI in Japan, noting that it lags behind the United States and China. He emphasized the importance of Japan embracing this technological evolution and actively participating in its development.