Sony Group Corp., SoftBank Corp., NEC Corp., and Honda Motor Co. have established a new company to develop large-scale artificial intelligence. This strategic initiative aims to close the technology gap with AI leaders in the United States and China. The Japanese government provides official backing for the venture.
Each principal partner holds an equity stake exceeding 10% in the new firm. A SoftBank executive will lead the company, which receives additional investment from major industrial and financial institutions.
The venture will initially develop AI models for domestic businesses. Future operations will expand into applications for factory robotics. The company intends to hire approximately 100 AI engineers.