SoftBank Proposes $1 Trillion Facility for AI and Robotics

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is pitching companies and governments on setting up a manufacturing center in Arizona that could cost as much as $1 trillion, Bloomberg reported Friday. SoftBank is talking to tech companies including chipmaker TSMC and Samsung on the project, codenamed “Crystal Land.” SoftBank has also approached state governments and the Commerce Department about the possibility of tax breaks for the project, according to the report.

The project aims to replicate the thriving tech hub of Shenzhen, China, possibly by manufacturing AI-powered industrial robots. To this end, SoftBank has compiled a list of robotics companies in its portfolio, such as Agile Robots SE, that could set up shop in the Arizona hub, according to the report.

SoftBank has already made big bets on AI and robotics, including a $10 billion investment in OpenAI and funding the $500 billion Stargate data center project. TSMC has also invested heavily in the U.S., which plans to invest $165 billion in the U.S., including its chipmaking facility in Phoenix, Arizona.

A spokesperson for SoftBank declined to comment.