Is SoftBank’s Collaboration with OpenAI Always Facing Headwinds?

SoftBank previously announced that it would launch Cristal Intelligence, an integrated AI service, with an planned annual investment of $30 billion. Specifically, this business will incorporate OpenAI’s AI solutions to automate workflows.

SB OpenAI Japan will sell the Cristal Intelligence integrated solution to more Japanese companies. The joint venture will be 50% owned by SoftBank and 10% by OpenAI.

In addition to the delay of SB OpenAI Japan, SoftBank CFO Yoshimitsu Goto stated last month that the Stargate project, a joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, and other companies, has also been delayed due to unfinished negotiations with other parties and undecided locations.

Stargate aims to develop data centers in the United States, with an estimated cost of up to $500 billion. However, to the market’s surprise, although the project gathers elite players, it seems to be陷入 internal friction. Oracle CEO Safra Catz previously directly stated that the Stargate plan has not yet taken shape.

Meanwhile, OpenAI has successively announced data center projects in the UAE and the UK with other partners, thereby diminishing the influence of the U.S. Stargate project. These projects also highlight OpenAI’s urgent need for computing power.

For SoftBank, the delays in Stargate and SB OpenAI Japan may also imply other issues, such as who holds the话语权 in collaborations between giants and how to reach consensus amid significant disagreements.