Following the successful IPO of Arm Holdings, SoftBank Group Corp is considering investing in OpenAI, the creator of the popular ChatGPT.
OpenAI is an attractive target for tech firms interested in AI-based solutions, and SoftBank is also exploring investments in OpenAI’s direct competitors.
Microsoft has already invested $10 billion in OpenAI through a multi-year agreement.
The Financial Times reported that SoftBank may aim for a broad strategic partnership with the ChatGPT maker.
Masayoshi Son, the CEO of SoftBank, describes himself as a heavy user of OpenAI’s chat service and has a close relationship with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI.
SoftBank is already collaborating with OpenAI in the Japanese market to develop intelligent chatbots.
In addition to investing in OpenAI, SoftBank is also considering investing in direct rivals of the ChatGPT maker.
If SoftBank’s plans with ChatGPT do not work out, the company is looking at alternative deals, such as acquiring Graphcore, a British AI chip maker.
