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

SoftBankFounder sees agents, humanoids shaping labor as AI reaches 20% of world GDP by 2040SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son speaks during his presentation at SoftBank World 2026 in Tokyo on July 14.(Photo by Hikaru Yagi) TSUBASA SURUGAJuly 14, 2026 14:59 JSTTOKYO -- SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son said global artificial intelligence infrastructure will require $5 trillion in annual investment by 2040, as data centers, power supplies and humanoid robots expand to support what he described as a shift away from human-centered work.