TOKYO (AP) — Japanese technology powerhouse SoftBank Group Corp. announced Tuesday that it is rolling out a new cybersecurity service built on OpenAI technology, with both companies confirming the initiative is designed to combat the growing danger of cyberattacks.
SoftBank’s Chief Executive Masayoshi Son described Japan’s current vulnerability to cyberattacks as “a crisis,” drawing a stark comparison to being targeted by machine guns rather than the single rifle shots of years past.
Son said the service will function as “a patching service,” with the country’s top 3,000 companies in critical sectors — including airports, power systems, and transportation — as the primary targets for protection.
“I feel it is our duty,” Son said, repeatedly referring to those carrying out the attacks as “the bad guys.”
According to Son, the process begins with diagnosing any vulnerabilities a company may have, followed by a detailed analysis of what steps are needed to close those security “holes.”
OpenAI’s chief, Sam Altman, had been expected to attend the launch event in person but instead appeared only briefly in a video message. He explained his absence by saying his baby daughter had arrived earlier than anticipated. OpenAI’s chief researcher, Mark Chen, attended the event in his place.
SoftBank and OpenAI — the company behind the widely used chatbot ChatGPT — established a 50-50 joint venture called SB OAI Japan last year. The partnership was created to develop and exclusively offer AI services tailored to the Japanese market.
Tuesday’s event served as a major update highlighting the service’s official launch. No pricing details were disclosed. However, SoftBank announced that all attendees at the Tokyo presentation would be eligible to apply for a complimentary security diagnosis.
Experts note that the rise of artificial intelligence has caused the volume and complexity of cyberattacks to grow at an exponential rate, making it increasingly necessary for defensive tools to be equally sophisticated and adaptable.
