SoftBank and OpenAI Form SB OpenAI Japan to Expand AI Services

Japanese tech giant SoftBank Group and OpenAI have deepened their AI collaboration by launching SB OpenAI Japan, a 50-50 joint venture aimed at expanding AI-powered services in Japan. The partnership was announced at the Transforming Business through AI event in Tokyo, where SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman discussed their vision for AI’s future.

Introducing Cristal: AI for Business Operations

A key initiative of SB OpenAI Japan is Cristal, an AI service designed to assist businesses with:

• Planning and marketing strategies.

• Automating emails and communications.

• Deciphering old source code for software development.

SoftBank plans to first implement Cristal across its own companies, including:

• Arm – a leading semiconductor and software firm.

• PayPay – a widely used electronic payment service.

• SoftBank has committed to investing $3 billion per year to integrate Cristal across its business ecosystem.

Son, symbolically holding a shiny blue crystal ball, described Cristal as: “This will be super-intelligence for the company. I’m so excited.”

Expanding AI Capabilities in Japan

Altman highlighted OpenAI’s latest feature, deep research, which enhances ChatGPT’s ability to conduct complex tasks quicker than humans, such as:

• Browsing the web to gather thousands of sources quickly.

• Compiling reports faster than human researchers.

• Providing advanced AI-powered insights.

• Deep research will be available in Japanese, reinforcing OpenAI’s commitment to localized AI solutions.

“This partnership with SoftBank will accelerate our vision for bringing transformative AI to some of the world’s most influential companies, starting with Japan.” – Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI

The Stargate Project and AI Investment

Beyond Japan, SoftBank and OpenAI are also involved in Stargate, a major AI infrastructure initiative backed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

• Stargate aims to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure across the United States.

• Son confirmed plans to expand Stargate into Japan and other nations.

Looking Ahead

The AI industry is evolving rapidly, with competition heating up—especially following the rise of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company developing powerful yet low-cost AI models. As SoftBank and OpenAI push forward with Cristal and AI-driven business solutions, the global AI landscape is set for even greater innovation and competition.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.