SoftBank CEO Says AI 10x Smarter Than Humans Could Be Here in a Matter of Years SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son spoke to shareholders during the company's general meeting on Friday.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

While many top business leaders continue to express concern over the unchecked development of AI, the CEO of SoftBank, a Japanese investment company, has a big prediction for its future.

In a rare public appearance to shareholders at the bank's general meeting on Friday, CEO Masayoshi Son spoke about his desire to create a world powered by artificial superintelligence, or ASI.

Related: Most Employees Haven't Used AI, Don't Trust the Tech: Report

"SoftBank Group has done many things until now that have all been a warm-up for my great dream to realize artificial super intelligence," Son told shareholders of the Japanese company, per Reuters.

He also said AGI, or artificial general intelligence, which refers to artificial intelligence that is smarter than the human brain, will be here within the next three to five years and that we could see ASI technology reach a level that's 10,000 times smarter than the human brain within the next 10 years, according to CNBC.

Son's futuristic comments did not include an actionable plan for how the company plans to step into the space of ASI, but he mentioned that SoftBank would be working to produce robots with AI capabilities that could be used across all sectors and require "immense capital" to complete.

Over the last year, dozens of billionaires and business leaders, including Elon Musk and Richard Branson, have signed letters calling for regulation of the technology despite the positive benefits the advancement in technology could signal.

Related: 3 Things to Look for to Determine If AI Is Being Used Ethically

"I'm more excited than worried about AI," Branson recently told Entrepreneur. "I think it's going to transform people's healthcare, it's going to transform operations, it's going to transform many, many aspects of life."

SoftBank was up nearly 27% year over year on Friday afternoon.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Growing a Business

'Boring' Businesses Are Making Millionaires — and You Can Borrow Their Strategies For Success

The silent growth strategy reveals how understated, steady businesses are quietly creating wealth for entrepreneurs in 2025. By focusing on long-term consistency and incremental progress, these "boring" industries are proving to be gold mines for those willing to embrace stability over hype.

Business News

YouTuber MrBeast Makes More Money From His Side Hustle Than From His YouTube Videos

The 26-year-old creator has racked up hundreds of millions of views and subscribers on YouTube, but it isn't his main moneymaker.

Side Hustle

This Husband and Wife's 'Happy Accident' Side Hustle Hit $467,000 Revenue Fast — Now It Makes Over $1 Million a Year: 'We're Scrappy'

Charlene and Vince Li couldn't find the snack they wanted to see on the shelves, so they created it themselves.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Says Only One Group Is Complaining About Returning to the Office

In a new interview, Dimon said remote work "doesn't work" and noted some JPMorgan employees were checking their phones while he was speaking in a meeting.

Leadership

Having This Kind of Mindset as a Leader Is the Key to Inspiring Teams, Creating Meaningful Impact and Achieving Lasting Success

True leadership is about more than just short-term profits — it's about leading with purpose, clarity and self-awareness. Superstar CEOs like Satya Nadella and John Mackey are demonstrating that conscious leadership is critical to success in today's marketplace.