Masa Son's Bold Vision: Softbank Betting on AI Reaching 10,000X Human Intelligence by 2035

Softbank’s share price took a notable dip—dropping over 3% following the Tokyo stock market close—in response to the company’s annual shareholder meeting. The primary driver? Masa Son’s controversial declarations about the future of artificial intelligence and the company’s strategic direction.

From AGI to ASI: Understanding the Intelligence Hierarchy

During his address to Softbank employees, the company’s founder outlined a tiered framework for AI evolution. Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) represents the first milestone, where AI systems would match or exceed human-level genius capabilities by a factor of up to 10X. However, Masa Son’s real focus lies beyond AGI—on Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI), which he predicts will dwarf human cognitive abilities by a factor of 10,000.

The timeline Son presented is aggressive: by 2030, AI will surpass human intelligence by 1 to 10 times. Within just five more years—by 2035—that intelligence gap will expand dramatically to 10,000 times superior to human capacity.

A Personal Mission Disguised as Corporate Strategy

What caught market attention wasn’t merely the technological predictions, but Son’s deeply personal framing of Softbank’s mission. In an emotionally charged speech that left little room for ambiguity, he stated: “For what purpose was SoftBank founded? For what purpose was Masa Son born? It may sound strange, but I think I was born to make ASI happen. I’m super serious about it.”

This statement—blending existential philosophy with corporate ambition—signaled to investors that Softbank is positioning itself not just as a participant in the AI revolution, but as a primary architect of superintelligence itself.

Market and Industry Implications

The stock market’s negative reaction reflects investor uncertainty: Is this visionary leadership or overreach? The three-percent decline suggests market participants are still digesting what ASI-focused corporate strategy might mean for Softbank’s financial performance in the near term, despite the long-term potential upside.

For the broader technology and investment community, Masa Son’s declarations raise fundamental questions about the direction of AI development, corporate responsibility, and whether humanity should embrace or temper the race toward artificial superintelligence.