As reported by Tech Wire Asia, in April 2026, SoftBank, NEC, Honda, and Sony are set to co-found the ‘Japan AI Foundation Model Development Company.’ This initiative aims to construct a ‘physical AI’ foundation model boasting independent intellectual property rights. The newly established company will be based in Shibuya, Tokyo. Each of the four principal shareholders will possess a stake exceeding ten percent, and the company will seek to recruit around 100 seasoned AI R&D experts from within Japan. SoftBank and NEC will take the helm in AI foundation model R&D, while Honda and Sony will focus on integrating these advancements into areas such as autonomous driving, robotics, gaming and entertainment, as well as semiconductors. The company envisions unveiling an AI large model with a staggering 1 trillion parameters before 2030, enabling Japanese companies to leverage this technology in their applications.