Key Takeaways
- • Masayoshi Son projects global AI infrastructure investment will reach $4.9–$5 trillion annually by 2040, representing approximately 20% of global GDP, with 1 billion humanoids and 100 trillion AI agents operational by that date.
- • SoftBank Group's chairman declared at "SoftBank World 2026" (July 14, Tokyo) that AI is entering a phase of "self-replication" and "self-evolution," fundamentally altering humanity's position as Earth's most intelligent species.
- • Son argues the AI development race is unstoppable and urges corporate leaders to adopt "Return on AI" (ROA) as a new performance metric, positioning AI adoption as critical competitive strategy for executives.
- • The forecast frames human evolution toward "superhumans" augmented by AI capabilities, with individuals pursuing personal passions while leveraging AI-enhanced abilities rather than competing directly with artificial intelligence.
Summary
Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, delivered a stark vision of AI's trajectory during the company's annual "SoftBank World 2026" conference held July 14 in Tokyo. Son declared that artificial intelligence is entering an irreversible phase of self-replication and self-evolution, analogous to biological evolution mechanisms that transformed bacteria into humans. He articulated that once AI systems embed these dual algorithms—self-replication and self-evolution—the resulting proliferation cannot be halted by any individual actor or institution.
Son's projections for 2040 are striking in scale: global annual AI infrastructure investment will reach approximately $5 trillion (¥800 trillion), with 1 billion humanoid robots and 100 trillion AI agents in operation. This investment level would represent roughly 20% of global GDP, indicating AI's centrality to future economic activity. The magnitude underscores Son's assessment that the international AI development race, driven by competing nations and corporations, is irreversible regardless of regulatory or ethical objections.
A central theme of Son's remarks was the necessity for corporate leadership to reframe strategic priorities. He urged executives to adopt "Return on AI" (ROA) as a core performance metric, signaling that traditional business metrics may become secondary to AI integration capacity. This recommendation reflects SoftBank's broader strategic positioning within the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Son further positioned the human role not as displaced, but transformed—individuals should pursue endeavors they love while evolving into "superhumans" enhanced by AI capabilities, effectively creating a symbiotic rather than adversarial framework between human and artificial intelligence.
Son's framing of biological evolution mechanisms as foundational to understanding AI development suggests a deterministic view of technological progression. By comparing AI's algorithms to evolutionary processes that produced human intelligence, he implies that current AI advancement follows natural law rather than discretionary policy, thereby neutralizing arguments for regulatory restraint or development moratoriums.
Son's projections for 2040 are striking in scale: global annual AI infrastructure investment will reach approximately $5 trillion (¥800 trillion), with 1 billion humanoid robots and 100 trillion AI agents in operation. This investment level would represent roughly 20% of global GDP, indicating AI's centrality to future economic activity. The magnitude underscores Son's assessment that the international AI development race, driven by competing nations and corporations, is irreversible regardless of regulatory or ethical objections.
A central theme of Son's remarks was the necessity for corporate leadership to reframe strategic priorities. He urged executives to adopt "Return on AI" (ROA) as a core performance metric, signaling that traditional business metrics may become secondary to AI integration capacity. This recommendation reflects SoftBank's broader strategic positioning within the AI infrastructure ecosystem. Son further positioned the human role not as displaced, but transformed—individuals should pursue endeavors they love while evolving into "superhumans" enhanced by AI capabilities, effectively creating a symbiotic rather than adversarial framework between human and artificial intelligence.
Son's framing of biological evolution mechanisms as foundational to understanding AI development suggests a deterministic view of technological progression. By comparing AI's algorithms to evolutionary processes that produced human intelligence, he implies that current AI advancement follows natural law rather than discretionary policy, thereby neutralizing arguments for regulatory restraint or development moratoriums.
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