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SoftBank Shares Drop as Nvidia Stake Sale Reveals Deep AI Funding Demands

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SoftBank Group (9984.T) shares plunged as much as 10% on Wednesday, after the company’s $5.8 billion sale of its Nvidia stake raised questions about how it will finance its massive new AI investment spree, including major commitments to OpenAI.

The Japanese conglomerate is preparing to fund a $22.5 billion follow-on investment in OpenAI, alongside a $6.5 billion acquisition of chipmaker Ampere and a $5.4 billion purchase of ABB’s robotics division. Analysts estimate these moves bring SoftBank’s recent spending commitments to over $41 billion.

Despite holding 4.2 trillion yen ($27.9 billion) in cash at the end of September, CreditSights analyst Mary Pollock said the group’s short-term funding needs remain “substantial.” She added that SoftBank will likely need to “be proactive” in sourcing additional liquidity to sustain its AI push.

The selloff also reflects investor concerns that tech valuations are overstretched, even as SoftBank doubles down on its “all-in” strategy for artificial intelligence. Founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, long known for his high-risk investing style, remains confident that AI will define the next era of growth.

“The Nvidia position was large, liquid, and easy to monetize,” said Rolf Bulk, analyst at New Street Research, noting that SoftBank likely sees more upside by reallocating funds toward OpenAI.

SoftBank’s shares, which had quadrupled between April and October, closed the day down 3.46% after paring earlier losses. Nvidia and Arm Holdings, the chip designer SoftBank controls, also slipped around 3% overnight.

To fuel its aggressive investment agenda, SoftBank has raised funds through bond issuances and multi-billion-dollar loans, including an $8.5 billion facility for OpenAI and a $6.5 billion bridging loan for Ampere. CFO Yoshimitsu Goto said the group’s debt ratio of 16.5% is “actually a bit too safe,” signaling room for more leverage.

SoftBank’s Vision Fund CFO Navneet Govil defended the spending, arguing that today’s AI sector is fundamentally different from past speculative bubbles: “AI companies are generating meaningful revenues. The capital expenditure boom is driven by real demand.”

Survey Finds 97% of Listeners Can’t Tell AI Music From Human Songs

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Nearly all listeners can no longer tell when a song has been composed by a machine.
A new Deezer–Ipsos survey revealed that 97% of respondents were unable to distinguish between AI-generated and human-made music, exposing the profound transformation — and disruption — that artificial intelligence is bringing to the global music industry.

The study, which polled 9,000 participants across eight countries, including the U.S., the U.K., and France, underscores how AI tools are reshaping creativity, raising copyright and ethical concerns, and threatening the income of traditional artists.

Despite their inability to detect the difference, most listeners want transparency. About 73% supported clear labelling for AI-generated tracks, 45% wanted filters to exclude them, and 40% said they would skip such songs entirely.

Deezer, which now receives over 50,000 AI-generated song uploads per day—a third of its total submissions—has introduced tagging systems and excluded synthetic tracks from editorial playlists and algorithmic recommendations.
“We believe creativity is a human value, and artists deserve protection,” said Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier, calling for stronger transparency measures.

The company has also begun removing fake streams from royalty calculations and is exploring how to adjust payment structures for AI-generated music, though Lanternier admitted such changes would be complex.

The debate intensified earlier this year when AI band The Velvet Sundown gained over a million monthly Spotify listeners before being revealed as fully artificial. Meanwhile, Universal Music Group recently settled a copyright case with AI startup Udio and plans to launch a licensed AI-music tool in 2026.

Adding to the controversy, a Munich court ruled this week that OpenAI’s ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by reproducing song lyrics without permission.

Foxconn Sees AI Boom Driving 2026 Growth, Hints at OpenAI Collaboration

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Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer and key supplier to Apple and Nvidia, projected strong growth from artificial intelligence (AI) demand heading into 2026 — and teased a major announcement with OpenAI next week.

Chairman Young Liu told investors on Wednesday that the AI industry was only in its early stages and would soon become a central driver of global technology growth.
“Judging from what we see now, I am very optimistic about the AI market next year,” Liu said during the company’s quarterly earnings call. “The development of AI is still just beginning.”

Foxconn’s cloud and networking division, which includes AI server manufacturing, has now surpassed its consumer electronics segment — which includes iPhones — for the second consecutive quarter.

The company expects significant year-on-year revenue growth in the fourth quarter, with AI server sales continuing to rise quarter-on-quarter. Third-quarter profit jumped 17% to T$57.67 billion ($1.89 billion), beating analyst expectations.

Liu also hinted at an OpenAI-related announcement to be revealed during Foxconn’s annual Tech Day in Taipei next week, but declined to provide further details. OpenAI has not yet commented on the matter.

Foxconn — formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry — has benefited from a global data center expansion led by Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, as they ramp up investments in AI infrastructure.

Beyond AI, Foxconn continues to invest in electric vehicles (EVs), despite recent challenges in its EV manufacturing ventures in the U.S.

So far this year, Foxconn’s shares have risen 36%, outperforming Taiwan’s broader market index, which is up 21%.