SoftBank's Son Invests $65B in OpenAI, Calls for Global AI Oversight

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is sounding the alarm on AI safety while putting massive money behind the technology. Son directed nearly $65 billion into OpenAI and called for global cooperation to manage increasingly powerful AI systems. He spoke at an event in Kyoto alongside White House advisor Michael Kratsios, urging international collaboration even as he projects AI could contribute 20% of global GDP, roughly $46 trillion, by 2040.

Other business leaders are weighing in on AI regulation too. Former FTC Chair Lina Khan told Business Insider that AI companies should not follow the same self-regulation playbook that Big Tech companies used in the past. Her remarks push back against the idea that the industry can be trusted to police itself.

Meanwhile, a Bank for International Settlements study of 1,246 AI firms between 2021 and 2025 found that 55.2% of investment in AI companies came from other AI companies rather than outside customers. Many of those deals also tied equity investments to supply chain relationships. Investor Michael Burry has warned of an AI reckoning by 2027.

Key Takeaways

  • <ul><li>SoftBank's Masayoshi Son has invested nearly $65 billion in OpenAI and warns AI could become super dangerous without global oversight</li><li>Son projects AI will contribute 20% of global GDP, about $46 trillion, by 2040</li><li>A BIS study found 55.2% of AI company investment came from other AI firms between 2021 and 2025</li><li>Former FTC Chair Lina Khan says AI companies should avoid Big Tech-style self-regulation</li><li>Michael Burry has warned of an AI reckoning by 2027</li></ul>

SoftBank's Masayoshi Son warns AI could be super dangerous

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son warned that rapidly advancing AI could become super dangerous if left unmanaged. He called for global cooperation to control powerful AI models. Son has directed nearly $65 billion into OpenAI. He still believes AI will contribute 20% of global GDP, or $46 trillion, by 2040. He spoke at an event in Kyoto alongside White House advisor Michael Kratsios.

SoftBank CEO raises AI safety concerns amid $65B OpenAI investment

SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son voiced concerns about AI risks at a Kyoto event on October 4, 2026. He urged international collaboration to manage AI's growing power. Despite the warnings, Son projects AI could add at least 20% to global GDP by 2040, about $46 trillion. SoftBank has invested nearly $65 billion in OpenAI. The company's stock shows a high Price-to-Sales ratio of 4.73x, signaling market expectations for future growth.

Gen Digital launches AI insurance marketplace and data checker

Gen Digital launched Savvy, an AI agent friendly insurance marketplace, through its Engine by Gen unit. The company also began beta testing AI Data Checker for better AI data transparency. These launches come after a tough period for Gen Digital's stock, with the 30-day share price return down 28.25%. However, the 3-year total shareholder return is up 34.41%. Roughly 35% of paid customers already use financial wellness features.

Cipher Digital extends Barber Lake data center lease to 20 years

Cipher Digital extended its Barber Lake data center lease in Texas to 20 years. This increased total contracted revenue to more than $9 billion. The company also secured an additional 10-year commitment from an AI lab. Despite the long-term contracts, Cipher Digital's share price is down 11.44% over 30 days. The company now sits between narratives of durable growth and execution risk.

AI wearables face IPO pause and privacy backlash

Smart ring maker Oura postponed its planned IPO, citing uncertainty in the IPO market. Apple, Google, Meta and others are expanding AI wearable offerings with glasses, rings and pendants. Meta's camera-equipped smart glasses have drawn backlash, earning the nickname pervert glasses on social media. Privacy concerns and public resistance are growing as always-listening devices become more common. Analysts say the value of these devices must overcome public apprehension about AI surveillance.

WentRogue launches public experiment on rogue AI claims

WentRogue announced a public experiment called the Yggdrasil Tree that begins November 15, 2026. Participants can buy lights that represent completed purchases and declare why they authorized each action. The project records statements alongside activity so the public can see how often actions happen and who participants say approved them. Declared identifiers are not independently verified, and the lights count recorded purchases rather than confirmed rogue AI agents.

Lina Khan says AI companies should not copy Big Tech

Former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan said AI companies should avoid self-regulation. She believes the AI industry should not follow the same playbook used by Big Tech companies. The remarks were shared in a recent interview with Business Insider.

AI companies fund 55% of AI investment, study finds

A Bank for International Settlements study looked at 1,246 AI firms from 2021 to 2025. It found that 55.2% of investment in AI companies came from other AI companies instead of outside customers. Many deals also linked equity investments to supply chain relationships, meaning one firm's revenue can be another firm's investment. Michael Burry has warned of an AI reckoning by 2027.

Atlassian stock triples despite AI fears hitting software

Atlassian stock rose over 200% from its April low of $57 after Wall Street feared AI would hurt software companies. The company launched Rovo, an AI tool embedded in Jira and Confluence that helps teams find information and write code. In its fiscal 2026 fourth quarter, revenue grew 28% to $1.77 billion and beat forecasts. Agents using the Atlassian ecosystem produced 44% more accurate answers while using 48% fewer tokens.

Some midterm voters use AI to choose candidates

Midterm voting is underway and some voters are turning to AI for help. These voters are using AI tools to research their ballots and even decide who to vote for. The trend shows how AI is becoming part of the election process for some people.

NetScout launches AI tools to improve data access

NetScout Systems introduced nGenius Copilot, an AI tool that works with its nGeniusONE platform. The company also added Model Context Protocol connectivity to its Omnis AI Insights platform. These updates help users turn complex data into easy-to-understand operational intelligence. The new features allow teams to ask questions using natural language and connect AI assistants to their systems. This change may affect how businesses spend money on tools for monitoring networks and ensuring security.

Sources

NOTE:

This news brief was generated using AI technology (including, but not limited to, Google Gemini API, Llama, Grok, and Mistral) from aggregated news articles, with minimal to no human editing/review. It is provided for informational purposes only and may contain inaccuracies or biases. This is not financial, investment, or professional advice. If you have any questions or concerns, please verify all information with the linked original articles in the Sources section below.

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