SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son Sees Fusion Power as Key to AI’s Future

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source of a new kind of cheaper, clean and safe energy here on Earth,” said Son, 68, at an annual SoftBank World event in Tokyo. “Is it okay to be using so much gas power? I think in 15 years, fusion will take its place.” Son has argued fervently against reliance on nuclear power following the 2011 meltdown of Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Nuclear fusion can, in theory, provide large amounts of energy with low carbon emissions, less long-lasting radioactive waste than conventional nuclear fission, without the risk of chain reactions. In recent years, investment in fusion companies has surged, with several companies moving from research to building prototypes. The US Energy Department has set a goal for scaling up the technology in the mid-2030s. The technology is promising but complex: It offers tantalizing dreams of near-infinite clean...