In an interview with NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang recently, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son unveiled his ambitious plans for integrating AI into robotics.
“The robot can talk, robot can have passions as a friend,” Masa said, drawing inspiration from the beloved Astro Boy cartoon.
Son underlined the need to “bring AI intelligence into the robotics” industry, moving beyond just physical capabilities.
“You cannot just have the muscle. It has to have an intelligence so that the robot can talk, but can have a passion as a friend,” he explained.
This vision aligns with Son’s long-standing interest in the potential of AI-enabled machines.
“I am passionate about robotics,” he shared. “I think the medical solutions. I think medical age is definitely coming.”
The SoftBank chief also expressed excitement about the prospect of “personal agents” powered by AI that could assist humans throughout their lives.
“I think now we should say agents to everybody. So each of us should have our own personal agents,” Son said.
These agents, he believes, could help with tasks like planning trips and vacations, and even act as lifelong companions that “know you your whole life.” Son sees a future where children grow up with such AI assistants from a young age, able to interact with them as if they were another person.
To bring this vision to life, SoftBank announced a partnership with NVIDIA to build Japan’s most powerful AI supercomputer.
“We can make many specific agents. For helping Japanese lifestyle,” Son explained, highlighting the opportunity to tailor AI-powered solutions for local markets.
As the robotics and AI industries continue to evolve, Masayoshi Son’s bold ideas for combining these technologies could shape the future of how humans and machines coexist.
