Q&A at
ESG Briefing Session

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Date Monday, February 26, 2024
4:00 pm - 5:15 pm
Speakers SoftBank Corp.:
Junichi Miyakawa (President & CEO)
Masato Ikeda (Vice President, CSR Division Head, ESG Planning & Management Senior Director)
Yasuyuki Genda (Vice President, HR Division Head, General Affairs Division Head, Well-being Promotion Office Head)
Mariko Fujiwara (Strategic Finance Division, IR Office Head)

  • What is the overview of the AI Governance Committee?

    AI evolves at a rapid pace, often in seconds. Therefore, decisions made today regarding AI governance may not necessarily be applicable next year. We recognize the need for continuous evolution and have established this committee with the purpose of creating check functions. We would like to have external experts from overseas and other industries on the AI Governance Committee. Our goal is to pursue AI governance that continues to evolve by incorporating diverse perspectives.

  • The government has announced a policy to establish data centers and solar power generation facilities nationwide. How do you perceive this initiative? Additionally, some argue that even if data centers are built in local areas, there might not be enough demand. What are your thoughts on this?

    I collaborate extensively with the government as a member of a committee within “The Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation (DIGIDEN),” which aims to utilize digital technology to address various social issues faced by regions and accelerate local revitalization. The potential for introducing renewable energy such as solar power is significant in Hokkaido. However, transmitting the generated electricity to Tokyo would require extensive time and cost for infrastructure development. Therefore, electricity should be locally produced for local consumption.
    Regarding the opinion that there is limited demand for data centers in rural areas, we have decided to establish a data center in Hokkaido as a demand-side initiative. By expanding our data usage into rural areas, we can create demand for data centers.

  • Will the construction of next-generation social infrastructure be implemented by curtailing existing telecommunications-related capital expenditures? How do you view the balance between investment for construction and its subsequent payback?

    We are currently investing in 5G infrastructure, but we also need to be prepared for the next 6G. However, we do not intend to neglect our existing telecommunications business. Regarding generative AI, we do not include these investments in our annual capital expenditure budget of 330 billion yen outlined in our medium-term management plan. As it is a business, we make management decisions based on the cost-effectiveness of the investment. Since there is growth in earnings and an increase in investment capability, there is a possibility of increasing investments in areas such as generative AI. I would like to assure you that over the course of a 10-year long-term plan, we intend to maintain a balance with the existing telecommunications business.