SoftBank CEO Son urges Japan firms to embrace AI to stay competitive

SoftBank Group Corp.'s CEO Masayoshi Son on Wednesday urged Japanese companies to take more advantage of artificial intelligence, warning there will be “a critical difference” in firms’ competitiveness depending on how willing they are to embrace the technology.

Speaking at a company event, Son voiced concern about many Japanese companies banning use of ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by U.S. tech firm OpenAI, for fear of data leaks and other potential risks.

“I think this is the biggest problem for Japanese companies,” Son said of the trend. “It’s either utilizing AI or being left behind.”

His r...