SoftBank Invests $3 Billion in Ohio Facility to Power OpenAI’s Next-Gen Data Centers

SoftBank Invests $3 Billion in Ohio Facility to Build Advanced Infrastructure for OpenAI Data Centers

SoftBank has announced a major strategic investment of $3 billion to build a cutting-edge manufacturing and infrastructure facility in the U.S. state of Ohio. The project is designed to support the rapidly expanding needs of OpenAI’s next-generation data centers, which will power the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence models.

According to industry sources, the facility will manufacture high-performance server racks, advanced cooling systems, AI-optimized networking equipment, and specialized compute units required for training and running OpenAI’s future systems. These include the upcoming iterations of GPT models, multimodal systems like Sora, and other large-scale AI architectures that rely heavily on supercomputing power.

The demand for large AI models has grown exponentially throughout 2024 and 2025, with OpenAI’s global user base and enterprise adoption accelerating faster than the company’s infrastructure can scale. This investment aims to reduce pressure on existing data centers while preparing for an era where AI systems will require massive compute capacity, stable energy supply, and efficient cooling technologies.

Ohio state officials welcomed the development, stating that the project will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, boost regional economic activity, and position Ohio as a major hub for AI-focused industrial manufacturing. The U.S. government is also expected to provide tax incentives and land support to accelerate construction.

SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son has long argued that the next industrial revolution will be driven entirely by artificial intelligence. He stated that global compute infrastructure is “far behind the pace of AI advancement” and warned that without immediate investments, the world may face a “technology bottleneck.” This $3 billion investment marks one of SoftBank’s boldest moves toward reshaping global AI supply chains.

OpenAI has welcomed the partnership, highlighting that the company’s future models will require “unprecedented levels of compute, energy efficiency, and hardware reliability.” With increasing demand from businesses, governments, and global organizations, OpenAI aims to expand its training capacity while ensuring safety, reliability, and faster deployment of new systems.

Economic experts believe this initiative is also part of a broader U.S. strategy to counter growing competition from China in the semiconductor and AI hardware ecosystem. The Ohio plant strengthens domestic supply chains and reduces reliance on overseas manufacturing.

The facility, once completed, will play a central role in enabling next-generation AI technologies, supporting advancements across robotics, cybersecurity, language models, autonomous systems, and scientific computing. Analysts say this marks a turning point in America’s AI infrastructure race—one that will define global technological leadership in the coming decades.