During an interview with CNBC, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son emphasized the magnitude of the AI revolution, stating it is 50 times larger than the dot-com era. He announced SoftBank's commitment of 75 billion euros ($87 billion) to develop AI infrastructure in France, which includes building 3.1 GW of AI data center capacity by 2031 in regions like Dunkirk.
Son compared the potential for growth in AI to the early days of the internet, suggesting that any market corrections would present significant investment opportunities. He also noted that the investment will primarily be financed through project financing rather than SoftBank's own capital, leveraging existing customer relationships to secure future orders.
This investment marks SoftBank's largest AI infrastructure initiative in Europe and positions France as a potential hub for AI technology in the region