SoftBank's Son says AI boom will require $5tn in annual investment

SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son said that sustaining the current pace of growth in artificial intelligence infrastructure will require roughly $5 trillion in annual investment worldwide. Son said the estimate is based on needs across data centers, chip production, and energy infrastructure.

According to Son, the surge in AI demand is outpacing existing computing capacity by a wide margin. As a result, he expects the industry will need capital spending at an unprecedented scale over the coming years.

SoftBank itself continues to make large investments in AI and related technologies, expanding its efforts in data center capacity and chip design. The company has signaled it intends to keep growing its footprint in these areas.

Analysts say an investment need of this magnitude could trigger a significant reallocation across global capital markets. Some investors argue that expectations of spending on this scale raise the risk of a bubble.

Son dismissed the “bubble” characterization, arguing that AI's long-term value creation potential justifies this level of investment. SoftBank said it plans to announce new investment partnerships in the coming quarters.