Global artificial intelligence computing infrastructure construction has once again received a major investment from a giant. Japanese investment firm SoftBank Group officially announced on May 30 an ambitious infrastructure expansion plan, intending to invest up to 75 billion euros (approximately 87 billion US dollars) in France to significantly expand local data center capacity.

According to the official blueprint, SoftBank's ultimate goal is to develop and operate an additional 5 gigawatts (GW) of data center capacity. The project will be implemented in stages, with the first phase focusing on the locations of Loon-Plage, Bosquel, and Bouchain. According to the schedule, these facilities are expected to provide 3.1 gigawatts of computing power to the Hauts-de-France region by 2031.

Notably, SoftBank is not only a core investor in AI giant OpenAI but also a deep customer of its service technologies. SoftBank stated that this overall layout in France will become the largest artificial intelligence infrastructure investment ever undertaken by the company in mainland Europe.

In response to this major investment, officials from the French Ministry of Economy gave a high evaluation and pointed out that the project's implementation represents an important milestone for the French government's efforts to position itself as a core hub in the global artificial intelligence value chain.

Amid the intensifying global AI arms race, data centers' energy consumption and construction are facing policy and public opinion disputes across different regions. For example, in the United States, due to potential impacts on grid load, electricity prices, and environmental ecosystems, opposition to data center establishment has been increasing in many areas. Nevertheless, SoftBank has previously disclosed plans to build a new data center in Ohio and prepare a new 9.2 gigawatt natural gas power plant. This time, SoftBank's shift to Europe and the establishment of a high-standard second front in France will undoubtedly further reshape the underlying landscape of global embodied intelligence and large model computing power.