SoftBank is set to transform a former Sharp LCD panel plant in Osaka, Japan, into a state-of-the-art AI data center in collaboration with OpenAI, the U.S.-based creator of ChatGPT, according to a Nikkei report. The project, expected to cost around 100 billion yen ($677 million), will repurpose the closed factory and surrounding land for cutting-edge AI operations.
The new data center is slated to begin operations in 2026 and will become one of Japan’s largest facilities, with an impressive power capacity of 150 megawatts. This venture aims to commercialize OpenAI’s advanced AI agent model in Japan, allowing for the training of the model using client companies’ data and providing customized AI agents for specific needs.
The total investment in the project could reach as high as 1 trillion yen ($6.77 billion), signaling the significant scale and ambition behind the partnership. The collaboration reflects SoftBank’s ongoing commitment to leading in the AI space and OpenAI’s growing influence in the global AI landscape.
Neither SoftBank nor OpenAI has responded to requests for comment from Reuters at the time of the report.