How OpenAI & SoftBank Are Advancing Enterprise AI

Enterprise AI deployment has reached an inflection point as companies move beyond experimentation to full-scale implementation - and the race to capture this market has only intensified as AI companies move focus from developing general-purpose models to creating systems that can be deeply integrated with enterprise operations.
This transition requires significant investment in computing infrastructure and striking partnerships with enterprise solution companies.
These two requirements have been met in OpenAI's partnership with SoftBank Group. The new partners aim to develop and market an enterprise AI system called Cristal intelligence in a deal worth US$3bn annually.
The agreement will see SoftBank Group deploy OpenAI's technology across its portfolio companies, including semiconductor technology firm Arm - which SoftBank Group holds a stake in - and Japanese telecommunications provider SoftBank Corp, an affiliate spun-out of SoftBank Group and SoftBank Group's former flagship business.
The partnership also includes establishing a joint venture called SB OpenAI Japan to market the technology to Japanese enterprises.
Why OpenAI's Cristal system marks enterprise push
The new Cristal intelligence system builds on OpenAI's o1-series models launched in 2024, which incorporate reasoning capabilities.
The system aims to integrate with enterprise data and systems through customised implementations for each company.
"This partnership with SoftBank will accelerate our vision for bringing transformative AI to some of the world's most influential companies—starting with Japan," says Sam Altman, Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI.
The technology will automate tasks including financial reporting, document creation and customer service enquiries - and SoftBank Corp plans to automate 100 million workflows using the system.
Enterprise AI development reaches new phase
The partnership shows the change in enterprise AI development, as systems evolve from models capable of reasoning to autonomous agents that can execute tasks independently.
These AI agents will integrate with company systems to handle knowledge work tasks and to maximise the benefits, enterprises will conduct additional training and fine-tuning in their own IT environments.
The joint venture will additionally enable clients to train their data securely and build AI agents integrated with their IT systems.
SoftBank and Arm plan large-scale AI integration
SoftBank Group companies will also receive priority access to OpenAI's latest models in Japan as part of the agreement.
For example, Arm, which designs semiconductor intellectual property, will implement the technology across its operations.
"Arm is partnering with OpenAI and SoftBank to drive unprecedented productivity across the global technology ecosystem, setting new benchmarks and building a future in which AI agents span from edge to cloud on Arm," says Rene Haas, Chief Executive Officer of Arm.
The joint venture aims to help Japanese enterprises train AI models using their internal data in secure environments.
Masayoshi Son, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of SoftBank Group Corp, says: "We are thrilled to bring Cristal intelligence, Advanced Enterprise AI that is customised specifically for each company, to the market in a big way.
"This initiative will not only transform the way SoftBank Group operates but also revolutionise the way companies work in Japan and around the globe."
Infrastructure development supports AI deployment
The partnership will use Arm's computing platforms to support the processing requirements of AI applications from cloud computing to edge devices.
Meanwhile, SoftBank Corp will provide sales staff and engineers to the joint venture, while OpenAI contributes research, technology and engineering support.
SoftBank additionally plans to build data centres and computing infrastructure to support AI deployment.
The collaboration aims to create a model for AI implementation that can be replicated globally, starting with the Japanese market.
The joint venture will further be consolidated under SoftBank Corp and serve as a platform for introducing AI agents tailored to Japanese enterprises and the company has begun developing distributed AI data centres and computing platforms to support the initiative.
These facilities will enable the secure training and deployment of AI models for enterprise clients.
"To realise our long-term vision of building next-generation social infrastructure with the aim of implementing AI into society, SoftBank Corp has been promoting various initiatives, including the buildout of distributed AI data centres and Japan top-level AI computing platforms," says Junichi Miyakawa, President & Chief Executive Officer of SoftBank Corp.
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