SoftBank and OpenAI to set up AI joint venture in Japan

Masayoshi Son's group to pay $3bn annually to use new Cristal services

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attend an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo on Feb. 3. (Photo by Jo Miyaguchi)

RYOHTAROH SATOH and CHIHIRO ISHIKAWA

February 3, 2025 17:59 JST

Updated on February 3, 2025 19:01 JST

TOKYO -- SoftBank Group and OpenAI will set up a joint venture to launch an artificial intelligence service in Japan, the two companies said on Monday, just weeks after announcing a partnership to invest in AI in the U.S.

SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said the new service, dubbed Cristal intelligence, is aimed at making companies' operations more efficient. SoftBank Group will be its first customer, Son said, paying an annual fee of $3 billion to OpenAI, the U.S. developer of ChatGPT, to use Cristal.