Masayoshi Son Criticizes Musk’s Space Data Center Plan, Says AI Race Will Be Decided on Earth

Elon Musk has advocated deploying AI data centers in space, hoping to use solar power to reduce electricity and cooling demands. SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son, however, says chips and hardware account for about 93% of AI infrastructure costs, while electricity represents only a limited share, making it difficult for a space-based approach to deliver a significant cost advantage.

Son recently questioned Musk’s proposal publicly, arguing that the additional costs of rocket launches, equipment maintenance and communication delays between Earth and space could completely offset any energy savings. With the AI race expected to produce a winner within the next few years, SoftBank Group will concentrate its resources on terrestrial AI data centers rather than wait for space infrastructure to mature.