SoftBank Group, OpenAI to Set Up AI Joint Venture

Economy Technology

Tokyo, Feb. 3 (Jiji Press)--SoftBank Group Corp. said Monday that it has agreed with OpenAI to establish a joint venture to develop and sell an advanced artificial intelligence system to major Japanese firms.

The "Cristal intelligence" advanced enterprise AI will be used to shoulder tasks such as creating documents, in efforts to streamline day-to-day business operations.

SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said at an event in Tokyo that cutting-edge AI for large companies will be launched for the first time from Japan.

The joint venture will be equally owned by OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, and a company established by SoftBank Group and its SoftBank Corp. unit. SoftBank Group will send a staff of 1,000 to the joint venture.

The joint venture will have the exclusive right to market Cristal intelligence to Japanese companies. It will initially be introduced at SoftBank Group units, with the Japanese technology investor set to pay 3 billion dollars in fees a year to OpenAI.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press