OpenAI and SoftBank Partner to Develop Advanced Enterprise AI

Japanese investment firm SoftBank and AI startup OpenAI joined forces to develop an enterprise-grade automation AI solution called Cristal Intelligence. The solution will be customized and exclusively marketed to major Japan-based companies.

SoftBank will leverage OpenAI’s technology to create custom AI agents capable of automating everyday tasks and boosting efficiency. The Japanese conglomerate’s goal is to automate over 100 million workflows. These AI agents will also lay the foundation for “even more advanced systems that can learn and adapt to any enterprise’s needs.”

OpenAI and Softbank will establish a 50–50 joint venture (JV) company, “SB OpenAI Japan,” to accelerate the deployment of Cristal intelligence. OpenAI will contribute AI research and technology in the venture, while SoftBank will provide sales staff, business insights, and operational expertise.

Initially, Cristal Intelligence will be deployed across SoftBank Group companies, including Telecom, Arm, LY, and ZOZO, with plans for wider distribution in the future.

“The JV will serve as a springboard for introducing AI agents tailored to the unique needs of Japanese enterprises while setting a model for global adoption,” SoftBank said in a press release.

SoftBank will be the first enterprise in the world to integrate Cristal intelligence and existing OpenAI solutions like ChatGPT Enterprise at scale. The Japanese giant plans to spend $3 billion annually on deploying OpenAI’s AI technology across its businesses.

Previously, Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank, invested in the Stargate Project along with Oracle CTO Larry Ellison and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. According to various reports, SoftBank plans to spend over $40 billion on AI initiatives with OpenAI.

Both companies seem confident in pouring massive sums into AI projects, even after Chinese Startup DeepSeek introduced a significantly cheaper advanced AI model. Its R1 model quickly became the most downloaded app in the US and caused US tech stocks, including OpenAI’s, to tumble.

Son, however, still believes in big AI spending: “Some people say you can do small — compressed — but that’s just small,” he said in a statement during the Tokyo event he attended with Altman, nodding at DeepSeek’s low-cost model.

SoftBank is confident the hefty investments will be worth it in the long run: “The learnings gained through this collaboration in Japan will create a repeatable model for AI-driven transformation worldwide,” the company emphasized in its announcement.