Masayoshi Son's Grand AI Chip Ambition: A Bold Challenge to Nvidia's Reign

In recent months, Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank Group, has been deeply engrossed in an ambitious plan to harness the potential of AI hardware investments and challenge the dominant position of Nvidia. According to insiders, Son is motivated by the vision of launching SoftBank’s own line of AI chips by 2026, with a prototype potentially ready by next summer. This bold endeavor is a response to his aspirations in the AI domain, where Nvidia has emerged as a significant leader.

Son's strategy involves substantial investments in the domains of chip production, energy capacity, and related technologies. He aims to utilize SoftBank's extensive resources, including the 90% stake in ARM, as pivotal to becoming a formidable competitor in the AI chip market. Additionally, he plans to address the significant power demands of AI, with ARM expected to play a central role in this development process. Manufacturing might involve collaboration with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), while technological support could be sourced from Graphcore, a UK-based AI chip manufacturer recently acquired by SoftBank.

Masayoshi Son is partnering with ARM CEO Rene Haas in this AI chip venture. While their ambitions for transforming ARM into a larger and distinct chip company align, differences in opinion have occasionally surfaced. Haas, with his background in developing Nvidia’s computing products and leading ARM’s intellectual property division, brings a keen understanding of the complexities involved in chip design and production hurdles. Despite challenges, the two maintain a steady communication channel, driven by a shared commitment to realizing Son’s extensive chip vision, with Haas playing a supportive role in this grand scheme.