Softbank's CEO Masayoshi Son is eager to achieve technological singularity, an artificial superintelligence that is way smarter than humans, and he is willing to pay for the cost of this multi-billion dollar dream.
Son, Japan's second richest man, believes that he could attain a computer chip with an equivalent IQ of 10,000 over the next 30 years. To attain its ambition, the company recently bought semiconductor and software design firm ARM Holdings Plc for $32 billion to develop such chips that specialize artificial intelligence.
To further fuel Softbank's dream for technological singularity, it is also in the process of developing a $100 billion Vision Fund with many supporters such as Saudi Arabia.
Softbank will also allocate $25 billion in the fund in the next five years, while the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (PIF) is slated to give $45 billion. Apple, Qualcomm Inc., and Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison are also likely to commit $1 billion each, the Next Big Future reported.
Other huge global investors are also in active talks to join Softbank and PIF to participate in the Fund to raise an overall price of up to $100 billion.
"With the establishment of the Softbank Vision Fund, we will be able to step up investments in technology companies globally," he said, adding that the Softbank Vision Fund will soon become the biggest investor in the technology industry in the next 10 years.
"We will further accelerate the Information Revolution by contributing to its development," he said.
Over the next two decades, ARM Holdings will ship 1 trillion chips for devices ranging from mobile phones and cars to TVs and even shoes. Moreover, Softbank's $1.2 billion group-led investment in satellite startup OneWeb Ltd. will help the Florida-based firm launch 2,000 satellites that offer high-speed global connectivity.