SoftBank’s Son Gives Secret Information About Saudi Robot Factory

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RIYADH — SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son provided rare, if cryptic, details about the $150 million robot factory he plans to open in Saudi Arabia in December, as part of a typically upbeat discussion on technology and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. .

With Alat — a Public Investment Fund company that will deploy $100 billion in chips, artificial intelligence and smart infrastructure by 2030 — “we’re building robots together,” Son said during the panel. “It’s not just a robot, it’s a robot with AI, a robot with a brain. That’s what we do.”

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In February, Alat and SoftBank said they would invest $150 million to create a center for automated industrial robot manufacturing and development. The first plant is scheduled to open in December.

Son has long believed in the possibility of a singularity, a theoretical threshold where AI surpasses human intelligence. When that happens, he said, it will mean the end of labor and suffering for humanity, where AI and robotics will free people to pursue art and joy.

“We are born crying and we die crying,” said Son. “In the meantime, we have to be happy. We have to let the robots do the work.”

Saudi Arabia is investing in domestic manufacturing, focusing on using technology to improve manufacturing, supply chains and logistics as part of its Vision 2030 efforts to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels. By 2035, it is planned to create 32,000 smart factories that will work on clean energy.