AI TRENDS | Masayoshi Son Predicts 100 Trillion AI Agents by 2040, AI to Become Largest Industry in Human History

SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son stated on Tuesday at the annual "SoftBank World" conference in Tokyo that by 2040, the number of AI agents is expected to reach 100 trillion, and humanoid robots will reach 1 billion, making AI the "largest industry in human history." According to Jin10, citing a report by Yomiuri Shimbun, Son noted that by 2040, AI will contribute approximately 20% of global GDP. He said that with 100 trillion AI agents interacting with each other, society will shift to an agent-centric rather than a human-centric model, and the global landscape will be completely transformed. Regarding the impact of humanoid robots, Son stated that robots can operate 24 hours a day, equivalent to 3 billion human workers, and can perform tasks faster, more accurately, and with greater precision, becoming the core of the labor force. He also emphasized that expanding data centers is key to realizing this vision, predicting that electricity consumption will double by 2040, requiring an annual investment of approximately $5 trillion (800 trillion yen). On future business strategy, Son said the AI revolution should not be limited to Japan and that resources must be concentrated on the U.S., the core battlefield.