SoftBank expands AI footprint with OpenAI investment and U.S. infrastructure spending

SoftBank Group is aggressively expanding its artificial intelligence ecosystem through massive capital investments in both software and physical infrastructure. The company is reportedly considering an additional $30 billion investment in OpenAI, which, when added to its previously committed $41 billion, would bring its total engagement with the ChatGPT developer to over $71 billion.

To support this AI strategy, SoftBank is heavily investing in the physical requirements of computing. During the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the group spent approximately ¥968.9 billion on U.S. power generation and data center assets. Much of this spending was directed through its subsidiary, Energy Global, which develops solar power plants and data centers in the United States.

These infrastructure moves are occurring alongside structural changes within SoftBank, including the creation of an AI Computing segment that integrates Arm, Ampere, and Graphcore. While the company is securing liquidity through bond placements totaling 90 billion yen, it faces market volatility and significant accounting effects related to the rising valuation of its energy and data center assets.