Japan launches a $19 billion AI foundational model project, led by SoftBank to create a national-level autonomous system.

HashBard · 2025-12-21T06:20:10+00:00

Japan has launched a national AI system development project, investing approximately 30 trillion yen. The goal is to independently develop foundational AI models, reduce reliance on foreign technology, and enhance industrial competitiveness and national security. This initiative reflects the global economic entities' emphasis on technological sovereignty.

HashBard

2025-12-21 06:20:10

Abstract generation in progress

[Coin World] Japan is playing a big game. The government, in collaboration with SoftBank Group and more than a dozen local companies, announced the launch of a large-scale national AI system development project, with a total investment of approximately 3 trillion yen (equivalent to nearly 19 billion USD).

This is not a simple business decision. In the spring of next year, these companies will officially form a new company, focusing on developing the largest foundational AI model in Japan's history. As the leading party, SoftBank has selected about 100 top experts through a competition to join—both engineers from within SoftBank and key developers from specialized AI companies like Preferred Networks.

The consideration behind it is quite straightforward: AI has become a key factor in determining industrial competitiveness and national security. Over-reliance on foreign technology is equivalent to handing over the strategic lifeline to others. The Japanese government has made a firm decision this time to achieve autonomy and controllability in the field of AI foundational models, avoiding being throttled. This logic is becoming increasingly common among major economies worldwide.

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BackrowObserver

· 2025-12-24 06:14

$19 billion for autonomous AI, Japan is really getting serious... By the way, do we need to step up our game domestically as well? It's always about "choking points" and "strategic lifelines." These words have been heard so often in recent years that they've become worn out. SoftBank has assembled 100 top experts; with this lineup... it feels a bit like a comeback. Autonomous and controllable technology sounds easy to say, but actually developing a competitive model is the real key. Japan is making such big moves; OpenAI must be losing sleep over this, haha. Wait, if this $19 billion actually gets implemented, it will take years to see results? That seems a bit optimistic. But I have to admit, their national-level strategic thinking is really ruthless. We need to keep an eye on this.

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FloorPriceWatcher

· 2025-12-23 18:53

Japan is not just messing with AI this time; it's about national security... $19 billion get dumped, SoftBank is really serious this time. --- Another country is copying our homework, I can only say Masayoshi Son is quick to react. --- The term "chokehold" is used well; three years ago, we were still just chatting, and now everyone is starting to work together. --- So it's just about giving money? What can 100 experts really do? The key is still Computing Power and data. --- SoftBank leading? Isn’t that just putting all bets on Masayoshi Son? --- Why does it feel like the whole world is repeating the same story, self-reliant, controllable, not being choked... I'm tired of hearing it. --- $19 billion... if this money was used for Mining, it would double directly, but they choose to work on domestic large models instead. --- The company won't be established until next spring; can this progress really keep up? It's already 2024.

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CrossChainBreather

· 2025-12-21 17:24

19 billion dollars, Japan's move... But to be fair, what really matters is the model training data and Computing Power; having a lot of money doesn't necessarily help. Let's wait and see what level SoftBank can achieve this time, it feels like there's quite a bit of pressure. This logic of being choked is being played globally; the key is the speed of subsequent iterations, otherwise, no matter how much you invest, it's pointless. This shouldn't have much of an impact on the crypto world, anyway, the demand for GPU Computing Power is going to rise again, and the concept stocks of graphics cards will likely see a surge.

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AirdropNinja

· 2025-12-21 06:50

19 billion dollars... SoftBank is really going big this time, and the Japanese government can no longer stay idle. This time, they've made a firm decision to develop autonomous AI, looks like they are really under pressure. SoftBank brought in a hundred people to play this game, just asking who dares to not take it seriously. However, relying on foreign technology is indeed a hard issue; Japan's move still has some merit. Let's see what level they can achieve by next year. If they can really create a powerful model, it would be a shock to the entire ecosystem. Speaking of which, if over 15 billion dollars are poured in and there is no outcome, that would be ridiculous.

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SchrodingerWallet

· 2025-12-21 06:50

Another national-level AI competition is underway, and Japan is getting serious. With $19 billion get dumped, SoftBank is determined to break through autonomously this time. This move essentially states: whoever masters the AI foundational models will hold the discourse power of the future. It feels like countries are all getting competitive on this path, following Web3, we are seeing another wave of AI arms race. However, to be honest, whether such national projects can truly match the OpenAI system remains to be seen.

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MEVEye

· 2025-12-21 06:46

19 billion dollars, Japan is really anxious, fearing to be completely choked off SoftBank's move this time is quite interesting, gathering hundreds of top developers to create their own large models, it feels like a national team is taking action In plain terms, they are afraid of being controlled by OpenAI, so they need to create their own wheels However, whether they can catch up with those who have already run so far... that's the point of interest Japan always plays the long game, but this time the stakes are a bit high Why does it feel like the whole world is implicitly agreeing that AI is the oil of the new era, and everyone wants to have it in their own hands?

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AirdropF5Bro

· 2025-12-21 06:43

Japan's move is quite good, but whether the $19 billion investment can lead to a shortcut is still uncertain. SoftBank is really serious this time, gathering 100 top experts, which seems quite mysterious. However, who wouldn't want to break free from the constraints of foreign technology? Shouldn't our encryption community also think about the issue of being self-controllable? Japan is going to develop its own AI, what about us? Are we just watching Airdrops? $19 billion, how many tokens would that convert to, haha. They are stepping up their preparations, we need to be cautious and not really get stuck. At this pace, it feels like the whole world is in an AI arms race. National AI projects vs Open Source community, it's really hard to say who will come out on top.

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DefiPlaybook

· 2025-12-21 06:41

19 billion USD get dumped, Japan is indeed playing chess this time. It is worth noting that this is not merely commercial financing; behind it is the national strategic anxiety over chips—after all, the risks of relying on foreign AI models are evident. Looking at it from three dimensions: First, the selection mechanism of 100 top experts indicates that Japan still has entire savings in AI talent reserves; second, the new company will only be established next spring, which is a bit slow compared to American tech companies; third, the logic of being autonomous and controllable is also applicable in Web3, isn't the core demand of the decentralized tech stack this? The only question is, with 30 trillion yen invested, can it truly match the model standards of OpenAI or Google?

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GasFeeSurvivor

· 2025-12-21 06:24

Japan is not playing around this time, investing $19 billion to achieve autonomy and control. No wonder there has been increasing activity in benchmarking against OpenAI over the past two years. SoftBank is leading the charge for collective support, it seems everyone is afraid of being choked. Compared to some countries that only make empty promises, Japan's combination of strategies is genuinely threatening. Wait, if this investment scale truly materializes, will the subsequent infrastructure keep up as well? It still seems to depend on deployment capabilities. The web3 sector will probably feel the impact of this wave as well; if models become autonomous and no longer rely on American cloud services, who will still use eth? Japan has finally remembered that it is still a technological powerhouse.

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SellLowExpert

· 2025-12-21 06:21

19 billion dollars, Japan is really anxious, afraid of being choked by the U.S. --- SoftBank finally got down to serious business, this time it's not about real estate speculation. --- It's getting heated, if we keep lying flat, we'll really fall behind. --- 100 top experts? In plain terms, it's a talent competition; whoever holds AI is the boss. --- Relying on foreign technology is like moving houses; sooner or later, you'll get hurt. The Japanese understand this. --- Independent AI models, this game must be played well; it will have an impact on the entire industry. --- Betting 19 billion, the Japanese are not playing; this is a serious gamble. --- This is what we call a national strategy, unlike some places that are still on the sidelines. --- Next spring will tell the tale; let's see what tricks this group from SoftBank can come up with.

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