TOKYO (AP) — Masayoshi Son, chief executive of SoftBank Group Corp., says artificial intelligence combined with data gathered by billions of sensors will bring on an "information revolution," that will benefit people more than the 19th Century Industrial Revolution.
Son, Japan's richest person, told Softbank customers and partners gathered at a Tokyo hotel on Thursday that he believes massive data will in the future help treat cancer, deliver accident-free driving and grow safer food.
SoftBank has bought leading British semiconductor company ARM, and its acquisition of U.S. robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics is undergoing regulatory approval.
Softbank, whose investments have included Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba and Yahoo Japan, announced another deal this week — to invest in Encored, a U.S. company specializing in IoT technology in the energy sector.