SoftBank plans to build an AI data center in France

Bloomberg quoted sources familiar with the matter as saying that SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding a French artificial intelligence (AI) data center project to be announced within the next few weeks.

Sources said that Son is considering investing billions of dollars in France as part of SoftBank’s AI infrastructure deployment. Two insiders stated that Son had proposed investing up to $100 billion in France, but if he decides to prioritize other projects, the actual investment could be less than that amount.

The sources also said that Macron brought up this AI concept during a recent meeting with Son in Tokyo, and the related plan could be announced as early as this month. One person noted that Son has often received similar requests from executives of various companies in the past, but this time it was a head of state directly engaging with him, which piqued his interest and led him to seriously consider the matter.

Son and Macron may announce the plan at the “Choose France” Summit. This annual event was initiated by Macron in 2018 to attract foreign investment and enhance France’s business appeal, often attended by several prominent industry leaders.

The sources added that the details of the project are still undecided, and the potential investment scale could change. Son is known for having a long list of investment ideas that are frequently adjusted. He has previously announced plans for hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure investments worldwide, but many of these have not yet materialized.

A SoftBank spokesperson declined to comment. The French presidential office did not respond to requests for comment.