SoftBank to boost AI capacity in France with major investment

Japan’s SoftBank Group will reportedly invest €45 billion over the next five years to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, according to details revealed by the company on Saturday.

The investment aims to position France as a European leader in AI. The project is one of the most expensive of its kind in Europe and will deliver 3.1GW of capacity from its location in the northern Hauts-de-France region.

While the investment plans are scheduled to be declared on Monday at the annual Choose France business conference. In this regard, French company Schneider Electric said it would be one of the project collaborators, equipping the sites with its modules without direct financial investment.

Moreover, the project will feature multiple sites across France, and SoftBank confirmed that the entire investment plan amounts to €75 billion.

“The fact that ‌the ⁠country is a producer and exporter of energy is absolutely decisive for investments in AI infrastructure,” SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son told the paper La Tribune du Dimanche.

France's utmost priority is to secure a share of global AI infrastructure spending. Notably, SoftBank’s AI investments also include a $30 billion stake in OpenAI representing roughly 11% stake of the company. 

 It is pertinent to mention the Choose France summit was specifically created to court global investors since its launch by President Emmanuel Macron in 2018.