OpenAI and SoftBank Group announced on February 3, 2025, their collaboration to develop and sell a corporate AI system called Cristal Intelligence, under which SoftBank is investing $3 billion annually to integrate OpenAI's technologies within its group of companies.
As part of the partnership, the newly established SB OpenAI Japan joint venture will have exclusive rights to sell Cristal Intelligence to large Japanese corporations. At the same time, SoftBank Corp. plans to automate more than 100 million workflows using the system. Cristal Intelligence is built on OpenAI's o1-series models with advanced reasoning capabilities introduced in 2024, which are expected to evolve into AI agents capable of performing tasks independently by 2025. The system will automate numerous corporate tasks, from preparing financial reports to document management and customer service activities. According to Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, this initiative will not only transform SoftBank Group's operations but also revolutionise how companies operate in Japan and worldwide.
The agreement means SoftBank Group companies, including Arm and SoftBank Corp., will receive priority access to OpenAI's latest models in Japan. The SB OpenAI Japan joint venture will enable Japanese corporations to securely train their own data and build AI agents that fully integrate with their IT systems. Based on the experience gained through this collaboration, they will develop a globally applicable model for AI-based corporate transformation.
Sources:
Arm Editorial Team
Emmanuel Nkansah
