Yesterday, Reuters reported that Softbank has acquired the former Sharp LCD panel manufacturing plant in Osaka, Japan, with the intention of transforming it into a data center for AI processing in collaboration with OpenAI. This significant investment is valued at approximately 100 billion yen. The envisioned data center is slated to become operational by 2026, with a substantial power capacity of 150 megawatts, making it one of the largest data centers in Japan.
The partnership between SoftBank and OpenAI aims to bring Crystal intelligence, an AI model tailored for corporate clients, to the Japanese market. According to Japanese media outlets, this investment is expected to be substantial, potentially reaching 1 trillion yen. The collaboration signifies a major milestone in the development and deployment of AI technologies in Japan, underscoring the country’s growing focus on embracing cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation and economic growth.