AI

OpenAI, SoftBank Group Corp. and SoftBank Corp. Unveil Joint Venture to Transform Businesses in Japan

On February 3, 2025, OpenAI, Inc., SoftBank Group Corp., Arm and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) hosted a special event in Tokyo for enterprises based in Japan. Attended by top business leaders and the press, the session featured OpenAI CEO S…

Keywords Explained: AI Agent

A program that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to autonomously assess and execute tasks on a user’s behalf A program that can execute tasks and learn on its own using AI and data An AI agent is a program designed to autonomously pla…

Introducing “AITRAS”: SoftBank Corp.’s Solution to Build AI Capabilities on 5G Networks

AI is driving transformative change across industries and enterprises, significantly enhancing productivity and convenience. As applications expand beyond chatbots to other applications, such as the real-time control of robots, drones and …

AI Meets Aquaculture: Fish Counting Application From SoftBank Corp. and Aizip Wins CES® 2025 Innovation Award

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and Silicon Valley-based Aizip, Inc. jointly developed a machine learning application capable of counting fish in real time with smartphones and other edge devices. The technology was selected for a CES® 2025 I…

SoftBank Corp. Invests in Next-generation Solar Cell Developer PXP Corporation to Expand Use of Renewable Energy

To build next-generation infrastructure for the AI era, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is advancing the construction of AI computing platforms and data centers, and, to meet the increased demand for AI-driven data processing while taking ste…

Tokyu Land and SoftBank Corp. Use Generative AI Avatars to Help Visitors Navigate Shibuya

The Greater Shibuya Area – which encompasses Shibuya, Harajuku and Omotesando – is a hot spot in Tokyo where work and play are closely intertwined. While destinations like the Shibuya Scramble Crossing – said to be one of the world’s busie…

Building a Japanese-based LLM for the Next Leap: Message from Head of Homegrown Generative AI Development in SoftBank Corp. Integrated Report 2024

The English edition of SoftBank Corp.’s (TOKYO: 9434) Integrated Report for 2024, published on October 31, 2024, is a comprehensive report that not only covers SoftBank’s financial information for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 (FY20…

Video: How SoftBank Corp. is Pioneering AI-RAN to Support a Society that Coexists with AI

Anticipating an era where AI-based services are ubiquitous in daily life, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is advancing initiatives to deploy distributed AI computing infrastructure across Japan while seeking an optimal balance between central…

SoftBank Corp. Develops Multimodal AI to Help Autonomous Vehicles Navigate Traffic Safely

In Japan, traffic regulations stipulate that when a vehicle approaches an unsignalized crosswalk with a vehicle stopped in front of it, the driver needs to come to a complete stop before proceeding. This presents a challenge to human opera…

SoftBank Corp. Announces Development of New Technologies and Collaborations for AI-RAN

After first announcing its “AI-RAN” concept in 2023 as a foundation for next-generation mobile networks to support a society that coexists with AI, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has made significant progress in bringing its vision to realit…

Evolving into a Technology Company Supporting a Society that Coexists with AI: SoftBank Corp. Integrated Report 2024 CEO Message

The English edition of SoftBank Corp.’s (TOKYO: 9434) Integrated Report for 2024, published on October 31, 2024, is a comprehensive report that not only covers SoftBank’s financial information for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 (FY20…

SoftBank Corp. Further Strengthens its AI Computing Platform by Installing Approximately 4,000 NVIDIA Hopper GPUs

To enable a society that co-exists with AI, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is continuing to make progress on its goal to build and provide different types of AI infrastructure in Japan. On October 31, SoftBank announced it finished installin…

AI Will Drive Value Creation: SoftBank Corp. President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa at SoftBank World 2024

“It’s no exaggeration to say that AI is the key technology of our time. We’re now at a crossroads on how we can incorporate it to drive growth across industries.” So remarked Junichi Miyakawa, President & CEO of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434…

Realizing a Safer Society with AI-RAN

Anticipating an era where people coexist with AI, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is advancing initiatives to deploy distributed AI computing infrastructure across Japan. While previously it was common to establish data centers in major urban…

Ensuring Stable Corporate Governance: Video Interview with SoftBank Corp.’s Lead Independent External Director

Atsushi Horiba is Lead Independent External Director at SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and also Chairman and Representative Director & Group CEO at his own company, HORIBA, Ltd., a global provider of precision instruments and systems. He bri…

Keywords Explained: How is ASI Different from AGI?

As technology advances, AI is increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. While many are familiar with AI in the traditional sense, newer terms like AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and ASI (Artificial Superintelligence) are enteri…

2024 as the First Year of 6G: How SoftBank Corp. is Getting Ready for a New Era

Following full-fledged commercial rollouts around the world, 5G brought ultra-high speeds, ultra-low latency and massive simultaneous connections to the masses. 6G is expected to bring even more wireless communication advancements and inno…

SoftBank Corp.’s 38th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders: Investing in AI for Future Business Growth

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its 38th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on June 20, 2024, at Tokyo Garden Theater in the Ariake area of Tokyo. President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa chaired the meeting, and after reviewing SoftBa…

SoftBank Corp. Teams Up with Perplexity to Bring its Premium AI Answer Engine to Customers in Japan

To enable a society that coexists with AI, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is building out next-generation social infrastructure such as generative AI computing platforms and AI data centers, and developing homegrown large language models (LL…

SoftBank Corp. Developing AI-powered “Emotion Canceling” Solution to Protect Workers From “Customer Harassment”

While Japan’s service sector is widely lauded for its high standards of politeness, punctuality, efficiency and attention to detail, one issue front-line workers are contending with is “customer harassment” in which retail workers or call …

SoftBank Corp. Launches Development Project in Collaboration with Microsoft Japan to Optimize its Call Center Operations with Generative AI

In March 2024, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) announced it is aiming to further enhance its call centers for mobile, fixed-line and Internet communication services in Japan by using generative AI. To achieve this goal, it is launching a join…

SoftBank Corp.’s Vision to Build Infrastructure for an Unwired Society with 6G

While the latest global wireless standard 5G is still continuing to see adoption, 6G is not too far away on the horizon. But what is 6G? And how might it change the way we communicate and live? When the term 6G comes up, many might associa…

How AI-RAN Can Transform the Telecommunications Industry in the AI Era

The formation of the AI-RAN Alliance, a new collaborative initiative aimed at integrating AI into cellular technology to further advance radio access network (RAN) technology and mobile networks, was one of the top stories of Mobile World …

Institute for AI and Beyond Leads Discussions at AI House Davos During the World Economic Forum

2024’s World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting was held from January 15-19 in Davos, Switzerland, and this year’s program featured AI House Davos, a new initiative that brought leaders in industry, civil society, government, the investin…

Harnessing AI to Transform Wireless: Industry Leaders Form AI-RAN Alliance

How can AI innovations be utilized to advance the telecommunications industry, and society at large? To address this challenge, leading technology, industry, and academic institutions came together at Mobile World Congress Barcelona on Feb…

SoftBank Corp. Accelerates Generative AI Initiatives

As part of its long-term plan to build next-generation social infrastructure, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been making good progress on its initiatives to build a generative AI computing platform and develop Large Language Models (LLMs…

Water Tech Solution Brings Warmth and Hygiene to Noto Peninsula Evacuees

As reported earlier by SoftBank News, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) has been conducting various initiatives to restore communications on the Noto Peninsula following the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck on January 1, 2024. Further to it…

How AGI Differs from Traditional AI

With rapid technological advancements, artificial intelligence, or AI, is now becoming a part of our daily lives. In addition to traditional AI, the term "AGI" is now entering common parlance. At this year’s SoftBank World, SoftBank's larg…

SoftBank World 2023 Exhibition Features Latest Technologies that Utilize AI

For the first time since 2019, SoftBank World, SoftBank Corp.’s (TOKYO: 9434) largest event for enterprise customers, returned as an in-person event in Tokyo in October 2023. From October 4 to 6, SoftBank World 2023 featured keynotes, pane…

SoftBank Corp. Initiative to Develop Homegrown LLMs for Japan Kicks into High Gear

As President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa first outlined at the earnings results conference held on August 4, 2023, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) is carrying out various generative AI initiatives, including the construction of a new generative AI…

SoftBank Corp. Director & Chairman Ken Miyauchi Discusses How Generative AI and the Information Revolution Could Evolve

For the first time since 2019, SoftBank World, SoftBank's largest event for enterprise customers, returned as an in-person event in Tokyo in October 2023. In addition to keynotes, panel discussions and exhibits that ran from October 4 to 6…

SoftBank Corp. President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa Unveils Next-generation Infrastructure Needed to Co-exist with AI

For the first time since 2019, SoftBank World, SoftBank's largest event for enterprise customers, returned as an in-person event in Tokyo. From October 4 to 6, SoftBank World 2023 showcased keynotes and panel discussions from technology lu…

SoftBank Corp. Data Scientist Wins Gold Medal at World’s Largest AI Competition

Masaya Ogino, a data scientist at SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) won a gold medal in the "Feedback Prize - English Language Learning" competition held by Kaggle, the world's largest data science competition platform. The goal of this AI codi…

SoftBank Corp. and Microsoft Japan Form Strategic Alliance in Generative AI Domain to Accelerate DX in Japan

As President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa mentioned at the earnings briefing for Q1 FY2023 on August 4, 2023, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) views generative AI to be the most important technology for the future. Accordingly, SoftBank is working o…

How SoftBank Corp. and Keio Research Institute at SFC are Using Digital Twin to Enhance Autonomous Shuttle Bus Operations

Keio Research Institute at SFC (KRIS) and SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434)’s Research Institute of Advanced Technology are collaborating on a new project that may serve as a model for automated driving. In May 2023, SoftBank and KRIS announced…

Envisioning the AI Age: Interview with Yasuko Kosaihira, CEO of Findability Sciences’ Joint Venture with SoftBank Corp.

Findability Sciences Inc., a US-headquartered global provider of AI and big data solutions, established a Japan-based joint venture called Findability Sciences K.K. with SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) in 2017. On April 1, 2023, Yasuko Kosaih…

SoftBank Corp.’s 37th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders: Utilizing AI to Provide Next-generation Infrastructure

SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) held its 37th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on June 20, 2023, at Tokyo International Forum. President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa chaired the meeting, which was attended by approximately 750 sharehold…

Solving Real-world Problems with AI: SoftBank Corp. and The University of Tokyo Hold Data Hackathon

As the world becomes increasingly digitalized, advancements in IoT devices and sensors have helped convert virtually everything around us into data. And as public institutions and businesses continue to provide more data openly, expectatio…

University of Tokyo, SoftBank Corp. and Others Establish New Company to Help Standardize Medical Data

The utilization of big data in Japan’s healthcare and medical system is lagging behind other developed countries due to legal requirements and systems that use different coding methods, among other reasons. This has made the efficient util…

SoftBank Corp. and NVIDIA Collaborating on Next-generation Data Centers

At the earnings briefing for the fiscal year ended on March 31, 2023 (FY2022) held on May 10, 2023, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) President & CEO Junichi Miyakawa unveiled a new long-term vision that positions SoftBank as a provider of next…

Can AI be Utilized to Produce High-quality Caviar in Japan? SoftBank Corp. is Working with Partners to Find Out

Caviar is renowned as one of the world’s top luxuries. The delicacy is made from the salted eggs, or roe, of sturgeon. The most prized caviar comes from sturgeons native to the Caspian Sea, but they have become greatly endangered due to ov…

ZOZO’s “niaulab” Combines AI with Expert Tips to Help People Find the Style that Suits Them Best

With its e-commerce platform ZOZOTOWN supporting over 8,500 brands and 11 million customers in Japan*, ZOZO, Inc. is a well-known Internet apparel pioneer in the country. A SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) group company since 2019, ZOZO also m…

Experts Discuss the Future of Brain and AI Research at the Institute for AI and Beyond’s 3rd International Symposium

The Institute for AI and Beyond (BAI), a research institute established by The University of Tokyo, SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) and others to promote advanced AI research and business activities, held its 3rd International Symposium on Fe…

SoftBank Corp. and Mapbox Japan Bring AI-powered Coaching and 3D Maps to “Tour de Tohoku 2022,” a Bicycle Event to Support Earthquake Recovery Efforts

On September 18, 2022, Yahoo Japan Corporation, a SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434) group company, and Kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co., the Sendai-based publisher of a major newspaper in Japan’s Tohoku region, held Tour de Tohoku 2022, a bicycle e…

SoftBank Corp. and Singapore’s Carro Team Up to Digitally Transform Japan’s Used Car Market

Around the world, the automotive industry and its customers are grappling with a number of challenges, such as a supply chain squeeze and high prices. Japan’s automotive market is no exception. In recent years, the country has seen lower v…

SoftBank World 2022: SoftBank Corp. Seizes Opportunity to Speed up Japan’s Digital Transformation

In delivering the keynote speech at this year’s SoftBank World in Tokyo, Junichi Miyakawa, President & CEO of SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), pulled no punches. At the online event for enterprise customers, he noted Japan continues to lag be…

How Digital Twin Technology Can Predict the Future of a Parallel World

When you step out on your day off, the city is less crowded than usual. The cinema is showing that new movie you wanted to see. On the way home, you stop by at a relaxing café. After that, you browse through a bazaar with foodstuffs you wa…

SoftBank Corp. and Konica Minolta Team Up to Digitally Transform Japan with AI-powered Imaging Analytics

In recent years Japan has been coming to grips with various challenges, such as a shrinking workforce and an increase in natural disasters driven by climate change. Digitalization and digital transformation (DX) are garnering attention as …

Business Leaders and Researchers Discuss Future of Deep Learning at the Institute for AI and Beyond’s 2nd International Symposium

The Institute for AI and Beyond held its 2nd International Symposium virtually on February 12, 2022. Among the topics discussed were the strides deep learning has made over the past decade, what we can expect to see in the future, and the …

Merging Data to Create Added Value: Interview with SoftBank Corp.’s CTO

At SoftBank Corp. (TOKYO: 9434), ongoing technology research is key to advancing new business areas related to AI, robotics, as well as the core telecommunications business. To learn more about this and SoftBank’s vision for future technol…