In a late-night conversation on Blackstone's internal podcast, Softbank Group Corp (SFTBY) founder, chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son sat down with host Christine Anderson, discussing everything from the tears he shed at 17 upon seeing a photograph of a microprocessor, to his prediction of superintelligence, SoftBank's full-industry-chain bets on AI, and why he believes AI should be developed at full speed rather than slowed down.
His core views can be summarized as follows: AI will be 1,000 times smarter than humans, possibly within the next decade; everything he has done so far was merely a warm-up; and technological development itself is the solution to AI safety concerns.
Tears at 17: Microprocessors Will Transform Humanity's Future
The interview began with Son's jaw-dropping declaration: "When I was 69, I said everything I have done so far was just a warm-up for what is about to come."
The host asked: Alibaba, Yahoo, Arm, the Vision Fund — was all of that really just a warm-up? Son replied: "Yes, I truly believe so. What is about to happen in the field of artificial intelligence is truly astonishing, it's so big. So everything I did in the past was just small things, tiny things."
He recalled his first encounter with AI: "When I was 17 and saw a photograph of a microprocessor for the first time, I was deeply shaken. I was on the street reading a magazine, and I started crying. Seriously, just reading magazines like Popular Electronics, I would cry on the street."
"I said: 'This will change humanity's future.' Microprocessors will eventually become so powerful, so intelligent, that they will ultimately surpass the human brain."
He predicted this might take 50 years. "Exactly right. It has now been 50 years. I was 17 then, I'm 69 now, so, you know, 50 years."
Today, microprocessors have given the brain immense power, and data centers are where all of this is happening. "Now it's going into the brains of robots. So not just in the virtual world — in the real world, this is going to start happening too."
AI Will Be 1,000 Times Smarter Than Humans, Achievable Within a Decade
The host noted that Son had previously said AI could be 10,000 times smarter than humans and might arrive within a decade. Has the timeline accelerated? Son said: "Regardless, however you define it, if AI becomes a thousand times smarter, that is beyond doubt. It will become extremely intelligent and start innovating. That itself is a new technology."
He painted a picture of that world: "If humans are happier, they will be happier too. If humans feel happier by curing incurable diseases like cancer, ensuring no more accidents on the streets, ensuring all kinds of disasters can be controlled, natural disasters that are coming — they will predict them and give us solutions."
"So they become the surrounding environment of our brains, helping us improve efficiency, helping us become happier, enjoying a human-like life."
So what will be the ultimate outcome of human progress? Son believes: "The result will be more intertwined, more interesting. We won't have to do things we don't want to do. We can have more joy, more entertainment, participate more in sports, more in family activities, make more friends. So it's more human, high-touch things."
AI Safety: Opposed to Slowing Down, Technology Development Itself Is the Solution
The host mentioned that news about AI-related risks has been emerging constantly. OpenAI itself has said the industry has not sufficiently solved alignment and monitoring issues to reasonably continue scaling at maximum speed. Does Son agree?
Son made clear: "I am not in favor of truly slowing down. Technological development is actually the solution to these kinds of problems."
He drew an analogy with the development of automobile society: "Just like the development of automobile society, we set rules — we can't drink while driving, we must stop at red lights, we must drive on one side of the road so there are no collisions. You have to establish rules and etiquette."
"We must do the same thing with AI. And cyberattacks that we shouldn't engage in — we must use technology to defend against cyberattacks. We must protect against bad AI agents, prevent them from misbehaving. Just like people, there should be no misconduct."
"We must teach AI agents that these are bad things. So it's not just a powerful AI agent — we must create a good AI agent, kind-hearted, making people happier. That's what AI agents should achieve."
"That way, it becomes smarter, more intelligent, doesn't do foolish things, doesn't do unethical things. Human society should respect each other, other families. We must do the same with AI. No slowing down. Progress leads to solutions."
"So we must go all in, with good intentions."
SoftBank's AI Strategy: Not Choosing One Sector, Building the Entire Ecosystem
The host asked: SoftBank has also made massive investments in AI infrastructure — in a sense, you've basically gone all in, because your investment scope is very broad — LLMs, chips, data centers. Why not choose just one sector?
Son replied: "No, I won't choose just one. This is the beginning of the AI era, the beginning of the AI generation. So I don't need to simultaneously run a company and serve as CEO of an operating company. I can be an investor."
"I created an ecosystem, an ecosystem of companies we invest in. We invest, we are not passive investors, we are now more involved in company development, bringing synergies to companies in our portfolio."
"Typically, we are the largest shareholder of portfolio companies, like 20%, 30%, 80%. So we have deeper understanding with each CEO."
He revealed that SoftBank has begun mass-producing robots at a physical AI factory, with robots producing robots. "We are developing these very quietly, our portfolio companies, family businesses. We have over 30 robotics companies in our portfolio, quietly preparing for the moment that is coming."
"But there are still many humans doing heavy work, like me washing dishes as I usually do. If these things are done by robots, humans can focus on doing more interesting things, more wonderful things."
Advice for Young People: Learn AI Plus Your Professional Domain
The host mentioned the story of Son going to meet the head of McDonald's Japan at 16, asking what he should study. If someone asked him today what to study, what would the answer be?
Son said: "Superintelligence. If you're interested in medicine, superintelligence in the medical field makes medicine far more efficient. Superintelligence in the automotive field — if you're interested in cars, combining superintelligence with automotive technology creates true supercars."
"So every subject, airplanes, or whatever it is, the industry you want to enter, the expertise you want to become an expert in, the speed accelerates. If you combine superintelligence, then the future belongs to those who transform that subject into success."
Personal Use: 3 Hours a Day, 7 Hours on Weekends — AI Is My Thought Partner
The host asked: How do you use AI in your daily life? How would you encourage CEOs to use AI?
Son said: "There are too many ways, too many to count. I now use it about three hours a day on weekdays. On weekends I might use it seven hours a day."
"I can't live without it now. Even for one day, I can't live without it now. It's very efficient, truly exciting."
"People will say: 'Hey, you know, when AI... if you use alcohol, you don't use your brain.' On the contrary, completely the opposite. It's like having a thought partner. When you start, you're debating, discussing."
"If AI says this, I'll say: 'Oh, but what about from this perspective? Can you make it 20% more efficient? Can you do both of these things and get that?' You can debate, brainstorm. It's my thought partner now."
Advice for Investors: Don't Dream Small — Results Are Proportional to Your Dreams
The host asked: As an investor, what should you really be considering? What aspects would you suggest people focus on?
Son said: "As an investor, my advice is: don't think about small short-term money. Have big goals. Results are proportional to your dreams."
"If your dream is so small, if your aspiration is so small, you can still achieve 70%. If the aspiration is so big, the dream is so big, you can still achieve 70%. So no matter how big your aspiration or dream is, you can't easily get 100%. On average, you can get 70%. Why not look to the future and dream big?"
He revealed his way of thinking: "In my meetings, every day we discuss what the next ten years will look like, our plans, our strategies. The next day, we revise. 'Hey, what will it look like in ten years?' The next day we're back at it."
"So people will say: 'What? Will there really be such big changes?' I say 'yes,' because within 24 hours we receive more new information, more thinking. We need to make many adjustments."
"No one knows exactly what will happen in 10 years. So we must think. People will say: 'Oh, 10 years from now... nobody knows, so let's not think about it. Let's think about next year.' I think the opposite. If you don't know what will happen in 10 years, don't give up thinking about it. Think, think, think."
Personal Life: 50 Years of Marriage, Interpersonal Relationships Are Very Important
The host asked: You've been married for fifty years, through all the ups and downs. How has this relationship helped your success?
Son said: "Interpersonal relationships are very important. You must respect others, you must love others. You must feel that this is important."
When asked whether he would let ChatGPT choose the starting lineup for the SoftBank Hawks, Son made clear: "No, that's our general manager's job. He has the abilities and trust of many team members. That's also part of the fun — it's not just a carefully planned thing."
Schwarzman's Summary: He Plays Everything, But Succeeds Far More Than He Stumbles
After the conversation ended, Blackstone Chairman Steve Schwarzman shared his views on Son: "He has far-sighted vision, able to foresee the future. That's unusual, because most people don't do that. He has always been like this, he's very technology-focused, and he has the ability to see what business value a technology can bring if it falls into the right hands."
"He's basically waiting for the right moment, seeing who will come to develop the project, and then he puts everything on the line. All the chips are on the table. Sometimes, if he gains more and more chips through success, that might be his chance to win the game. He will try different ways to play the same game, as he's doing now across the entire AI ecosystem."
"He plays everything. And over time, he has achieved far more successes than setbacks. But he has both, and he's extremely adaptable. Setbacks don't bother him as much as they bother others, because he fits the theme. If he believes in something, he knows it will happen. His timing isn't always great, but he doesn't care. So he's really bold."
Schwarzman also shared his own views on the future of AI: "You will have real changes across the entire healthcare industry. It will extend many people's lives. You will be able to access personalized education — anyone with a smartphone will be able to access tailor-made excellent education."
"Drastic changes, major changes won't come as quickly as some people imagine. Its development is an evolutionary process. But when everything is settled, this will be part of a major step forward. Although complex, it will ultimately benefit humanity."
Conclusion
This conversation showcased Son's extreme optimism about the future of AI and his full-speed bets. From crying at 17 upon seeing a microprocessor, to saying at 69 that everything in the past was just a warm-up, he has always believed that technology is the fundamental solution to humanity's problems.
In his view, AI will be 1,000 times smarter than humans, possibly within a decade; we should not slow down, but go all in, while embedding good intentions into the system; and SoftBank is building an ecosystem covering the entire AI industry chain, quietly preparing for that moment to arrive.
As he said: "Results are proportional to your dreams. If your dream is so small, you can still achieve 70%. If the dream is so big, you can still achieve 70%. Why not look to the future and dream big?"
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