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SoftBank to buy ABB robotics unit for $5.4 billion in AI push
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., speaks during the company’s annual general meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on Friday, June 27, 2025.
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SoftBank Group on Monday said it had agreed to buy the robotics division of Swiss engineering firm ABB for $5.4 billion, as the Japanese giant looks to bolster its artificial intelligence plays.
The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval globally, means ABB will no longer look to spin off its robotics business as a separately listed company.
“SoftBank’s next frontier is Physical AI. Together with ABB Robotics, we will unite world-class technology and talent under our shared vision to fuse Artificial Super Intelligence and robotics — driving a groundbreaking evolution that will propel humanity forward,” Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank, said in a statement.
Artificial Super Intelligence, or ASI, is Son’s idea of AI that is 10,000 times smarter than humans.
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