AI Agents to be Broadly Deployed by SoftBank Group on a Massive Scale
In a groundbreaking move, SoftBank Group Corp., under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son, has announced plans to implement an innovative autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agent system on a massive scale within the company. This system, set to revolutionise traditional human programming, will enable AI agents to independently perform complex tasks such as research, negotiations, strategy compilation, and programming without the need for human commands[1][2][3].
The world's first AI agent system designed to autonomously handle multifaceted human tasks by designing its workflows from available data, is expected to transform each SoftBank employee into a "thousand-armed deity," exponentially increasing their effectiveness by offloading much of the workload to AI agents[2].
With an ambitious goal, SoftBank aims to have one billion AI agents operational across the group by the end of 2025[2][3]. This ambitious target, considering SoftBank’s workforce of about 50,000 employees, equates to roughly 1,000 agents per employee. These agents will collectively accelerate business processes and innovation at a scale rarely seen before in corporate AI adoption[2][3].
This initiative is part of a joint venture between SoftBank Group and OpenAI, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman highlighting the shift from AI just generating information on request (like ChatGPT) to AI independently executing complex, vaguely defined tasks in natural language, unlocking vast productivity potential[1][3].
The AI agents are designed to autonomously carry out human tasks within SoftBank Group Corp., interacting with each other to fulfill tasks across the organisation[1][2][3]. Masayoshi Son emphasised the importance of spreading the use of AI in Japan, stating that those who do not use it are hindering their own development[1][2].
The lecture by Masayoshi Son, though the specific date was not specified, likely provided an opportunity for him to share insights on the future of AI, given his role as a key figure in the AI industry and his discussion with Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI[1][2]. The discussion between the two focused on the future of AI and related security risks[1][2].
The AI agents' self-evolving and self-replicating capabilities will enable them to manage and execute subtasks, working 24/7, continuously interacting with each other to advance their assigned goals and substantially boost productivity and decision-making within the organisation[1][2][3]. Masayoshi Son expressed hope for a system that allows AI to reproduce itself and evolve[1][2].
The lecture may have been a platform for Masayoshi Son to express his views on the need to accelerate AI adoption in Japan due to its current lagging position compared to other countries[1][2]. The initiative by SoftBank Group Corp. positions the company as a leader in AI-driven operational transformation[1][2][3].
The autonomous AI agent system, powered by artificial intelligence, is designed to handle multifaceted human tasks, such as research and programming, within SoftBank Group Corp., transforming each employee into an efficient "thousand-armed deity". In line with this, SoftBank aims to deploy one billion AI agents across the group by 2025, fostering a significant surge in business processes and innovation.
