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SoftBank Boss Says AI 10,000 Times Smarter Than Humans Is Coming

By Nithya Bose in Business News, posted June 24, 2024

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has predicted artificial intelligence 10,000 times smarter than humans will emerge in the next decade.

In a rare public appearance, Son shared his vision for a world dominated by artificial super intelligence (ASI).

Son began by discussing artificial general intelligence (AGI), which refers to AI that surpasses human intelligence by one to ten times.

He said AGI would arrive within three to five years, sooner than previously expected.

Son noted that if AGI is not much smarter than humans, “then we don’t need to change the way of living, we don’t need to change the structure of human lifestyle.”

“But when it comes to ASI it’s a totally different story. [With] ASI, you will see a big improvement.”

He envisions ASI models interacting like neurons in a human brain, resulting in AI that is exponentially smarter than any human genius.

SoftBank shares dropped over three percent in Japan following the meeting.

Son, the founder of SoftBank, gained prominence through an early investment in Alibaba and launched the Vision Fund in 2017 to back tech firms.

While some investments were successful, others, like WeWork, were high-profile failures.

After significant financial losses at Vision Fund in 2022, Son shifted to a more conservative investment strategy.

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However, in 2023, following another record loss, he expressed renewed enthusiasm for AI investments, signaling a return to an aggressive approach.

Son has remained out of the public eye since then, but his recent speech was filled with existential reflections.

He recounted feeling unaccomplished two years ago and crying over his perceived lack of achievements.

Now, he believes he has found both SoftBank's mission and his personal purpose in life.

He said: “SoftBank was founded for what purpose? For what purpose was Masa Son born? It may sound strange, but I think I was born to realize ASI. I am super serious about it.”

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