Masayoshi Son's Urgent Call to Adopt AI - Embrace or Perish

Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Softbank Group Corp SFTBF SFTBY, emphasized the transformative power of artificial general intelligence (AGI) during the company’s annual SoftBank World event. 

He asserted that AGI would outstrip human intelligence within a decade, urging businesses to embrace this technology or risk obsolescence, the Wall Street Journal reports. 

Son’s advocacy for AGI comes when a global race spearheaded by tech giants like Meta Platforms Inc META and Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL, aiming to harness AI’s potential to revolutionize professional and personal landscapes.

Also Read: Now That Tech Is Amid AI Frenzy, SoftBank Mulls Purchase of Remaining Stake in Chip Designer Arm

Son is not just a passive observer but an active participant in the AI revolution. He revealed his daily interactions with GPT-4, an advanced AI model, where he engages in debates to explore innovative ideas. 

Son’s conviction in AGI’s potential is evident in his prediction that by 2030, this technology will possess a capability tenfold that of collective human intelligence. 

He envisions a future where AGI powers self-driving vehicles, reducing road accidents and contributing to groundbreaking advancements in science and engineering.

The SoftBank CEO warned against the reluctance to adapt to the AI-driven future, likening the skeptics to a confined goldfish, limited in perspective and potential. 

He drew a stark contrast between those who would embrace AI and those who would abstain, suggesting a disparity as pronounced as that between apes and humans in intellectual capacity.

After a period of reduced investment in tech companies, SoftBank is gearing up to re-enter the fray. 

Son disclosed the company’s initiative to incentivize its employees to ideate innovative applications of generative AI, marking a shift from a $43.9 billion investment in FY 2021 to a more modest $4 billion in the last fiscal year. The company is poised to reinvigorate its investment strategy, aligning with Son’s fervent belief in AI’s potential.

As per recent reports, the AI chip industry drew regulatory scrutiny. This week, EU antitrust regulators acknowledged that they have not formally investigated chips used for artificial intelligence, days after the French competition authority raided AI kingpin Nvidia Corp NVDA for alleged anti-competitive practices.

Last week, reports suggested that the EU antitrust watchdog was informally collecting views on potentially abusive practices for graphics process units in the market.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.