Macron 最初是在最近一次东京会面中提出这个 AI 想法，而据说孙正义对这位国家元首的直接提议感到很感兴趣。该项目仍在变动中，但它将加入 SoftBank 日益增加的 AI 投资清单，其中包括 3 月为俄亥俄州一个大型数据中心综合体制定的计划，该计划可引导 5000 亿美元投入 10 gigawatts 的容量，并依赖约 330 亿美元的天然气发电。SoftBank 也在支持与 OpenAI、Oracle Corp. 及阿布达比的 MGX 合作的 5000 亿美元 Stargate 计划，并已向 OpenAI 承诺超过 600 亿美元，以取得约 13% 的持股。
这些雄心面临融资限制：Bloomberg Intelligence 估计，在触及其自订的 25% 贷款对价值比上限之前，SoftBank 可能只有约 150 亿到 200 亿美元的投资余量；而在债权人犹豫后，该公司最近把一笔由 OpenAI 支持的保证金贷款目标从 100 亿美元下调至低至 60 亿美元。SoftBank 股价在东京一度上涨 4.4%，而更广泛的背景则是 AI 资本支出的激增，Amazon.com Inc.、Alphabet Inc.、Microsoft Corp. 和 Meta Platforms Inc. 计划今年最多投入 7250 亿美元，几乎是去年的两倍。Macron 一直推广主权 AI，以及法国的能源电网和核电作为优势；先前的 Choose France 公告包括一个 1.4 gigawatt 的站点，以及阿联酋对法国数据中心 300 亿欧元至 500 亿欧元（353 亿美元至 587 亿美元）的承诺。
SoftBank Group Corp. founder Masayoshi Son has held talks with President Emmanuel Macron about a possible French AI data center project, with an announcement potentially coming within weeks, possibly at the Choose France Summit. According to people familiar with the matter, Son is considering a multibillion-dollar investment in France as part of SoftBank's broader AI infrastructure push, and he has floated investing as much as $100 billion in the country, though the final amount could be much lower if other projects take priority.
Macron first raised the AI idea in a recent Tokyo meeting, and Son was said to be intrigued by the direct approach from a head of state. The project is still fluid, but it would add to a growing list of SoftBank AI bets, including a March plan for a large Ohio data center complex that could channel $500 billion into 10 gigawatts of capacity and rely on about $33 billion of natural gas-fired electricity. SoftBank is also backing a $500 billion Stargate initiative with OpenAI, Oracle Corp., and Abu Dhabi's MGX, and has committed more than $60 billion to OpenAI for about a 13% stake.
The ambitions face financing constraints: Bloomberg Intelligence estimates SoftBank may have only about $15 billion to $20 billion of investment headroom before hitting its self-imposed 25% loan-to-value limit, and the company recently cut a planned OpenAI-backed margin loan target from $10 billion to as low as $6 billion after creditor hesitation. SoftBank shares rose as much as 4.4% in Tokyo, while the broader backdrop is a surge in AI capital spending, with Amazon.com Inc., Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Meta Platforms Inc. planning up to $725 billion this year, almost double last year. Macron has promoted sovereign AI and France's energy grid and nuclear power as advantages, and prior Choose France announcements included a 1.4 gigawatt site and a UAE commitment of €30 billion to €50 billion ($35.3 billion to $58.7 billion) for French data centers.