SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son issues rare AI safety warning

On October 5, 2026, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, a key investor in OpenAI and a longtime steadfast believer in artificial intelligence, voiced a rare security warning during the Science and Technology in Society forum in Kyoto, appearing alongside White House tech policy advisor Michael Kratsios. Son stated that as AI capabilities explode exponentially, he has grown deeply concerned about the accompanying safety risks. He emphasized that mutual trust among nations is now urgent and that humanity can no longer afford mutual friction, urging countries to unite against the unprecedented threats posed by powerful AI models. Son specifically warned that if artificial intelligence or superintelligence falls into the hands of malicious actors, the consequences would be extremely dangerous, reflecting growing anxiety over recent security vulnerabilities and unauthorized breaches. Data and metrics mentioned in reports: October 5, 2026.