根据彭博新闻报导，为实践Masayoshi Son将人工智慧视为当代最具革命性技术的愿景，总部位于东京的SoftBank Group正考虑收购美国第一大保全服务公司Allied Universal，目标是最终以机器人取代人力员工。这项策略突破了该集团迄今主要集中于工厂、资料中心自动化与物流的多元机器人投资组合，期望透过Allied广泛的人力派遣业务与单次活动服务，创造比其他工业应用更佳的短期投资报酬率。（关键数字：1）
目前特定保全工作的经济效益已初步显现，业界正积极测试多种机器人形态，包括Knightscope类似巡逻车的机器人、Boston Dynamics的Spot机器狗，以及Alsok类似滑行塔的设备。此外，SoftBank旗下的日本机器人部门也在今年稍早推出了外型如同小型移动服务台的轮式机器人SBX Security Robot S1，具备接管大范围区域长时间巡逻的能力。然而，Bullhound Capital副总裁Amanda Cham指出，要将人形机器人实际部署为现实生活中的保全人员仍需更长时间，预计可能还要5至10年，且必须先解决机器人对人类使用武力的程度规范与授权等无数问题。
与电影《机械战警》中暴力的反乌托邦形象不同，Masayoshi Son对机器人的迷恋可追溯至1960年代的日本动画《原子小金刚》，因此他始终将机器人描绘为改善人类生活的友善帮手。例如他在2014年选择推出圆脸大眼的人形机器人Pepper，作为家庭伴侣与商店助手。不过，这项愿景能实现多少仍有待观察，因为Pepper已于2020年停产（历时6年），而SoftBank在2017年收购Boston Dynamics仅数年后，也出售了其持有的多数股权。
According to Bloomberg News, to realize Masayoshi Son's vision of artificial intelligence as the most revolutionary technology of our times, Tokyo-based SoftBank Group is considering acquiring Allied Universal, the number 1 largest security services company in the US, aiming to eventually replace human staff with robots. This strategy expands the group's diverse robotics investment portfolio beyond its primary focus on factory and data center automation and logistics, counting on Allied's broad staffing businesses and one-off event operations to generate better near-term returns than other industrial applications.
For certain security tasks, the economics already work, with the industry experimenting with various form factors including Knightscope's patrol-car-like robots, Boston Dynamics' Spot robot dogs, and Alsok's gliding-tower machines. Additionally, SoftBank's own Japanese robotics unit unveiled the wheeled, kiosk-like SBX Security Robot S1 earlier this year, capable of handling lengthy patrols across large areas. However, Amanda Cham, vice president of Bullhound Capital, noted that deploying humanoid robots as real-life security guards will take much longer, possibly 5 to 10 years, as countless questions remain regarding codifying and authorizing the level of force a robot can use against a person.
Unlike the violent, dystopian relationship depicted in RoboCop, Masayoshi Son's fascination with robots traces back to Japan's 1960s animated series Astro Boy, leading him to consistently portray robots as benign helpers that make lives easier. For instance, his humanoid robot of choice in 2014 was Pepper, a round-faced, large-eyed machine designed as a home companion and store assistant. Nevertheless, how much of this vision materializes remains uncertain, as Pepper's production was halted in 2020 after 6 years, and SoftBank divested its majority stake in Boston Dynamics just a few years after acquiring the company in 2017.