TOKYO (Reuters) – SoftBank’s Japanese telecommunications unit will receive the first chips using Nvidia’s (NASDAQ 🙂) latest Blackwell design for its supercomputer, the California-based chip designer said, as Masayoshi Son looks to take advantage of the technology boom. artificial intelligence.
SoftBank (TYO:) Corp also plans to use Grace Blackwell chips for another supercomputer, said Nvidia, which held an artificial intelligence event in Tokyo on Wednesday featuring SoftBank Group CEO Son and Nvidia CEO Son. Jensen Huang.
Son is pushing to expand his conglomerate’s exposure to the AI ​​wave, taking a stake in OpenAI and acquiring chip startup Graphcore, after a turbulent few years that forced the exuberant billionaire to reduce his spending.
The two businessmen had an “informal chat” at the event, and Jensen recalled that Son once offered to lend him money to buy Nvidia, since the market did not understand its value.
“He wanted to lend me money to buy Nvidia. Everything. Now I regret not accepting it,” Huang said, laughing.
Son said the offer was made a month after acquiring chip designer Arm. Japanese billionaires subsequently built and sold a stake in Nvidia and attempted to sell Arm to Huang’s company, which failed due to regulatory hurdles.
Nvidia, once best known as a designer of gaming graphics chips, has become the world’s most valuable company driven by insatiable demand for its chips.
While Son has earned a reputation as a forward-thinking investor, with relationships with leading entrepreneurs and bets on companies such as Alibaba (NYSE:), has also made high-profile missteps, such as backing a shared office space company We work (MILITARY CADET BODIES:).
As telecommunications companies around the world look for new growth engines, SoftBank has partnered with Nvidia to pilot a network that can run 5G and AI services.
“It’s the same vision we can smell, right? It’s like a wolf smelling a wolf,” Son said of the similarities between the two men.
“I have two puppies. I don’t like that mental image,” Huang joked in response.