SoftBank builds out AI sphere with stake in 7-Eleven owner

String of partnerships aimed at gathering valuable industrial and retail data

CEO Junichi Miyakawa said the investment in Seven & i will help his company support a new form of retail with AI and robots. (Photo by Hikaru Yagi)

TOKYO -- SoftBank Corp. is moving to harness vast troves of data from Japan's industrial and retail sectors, including through a recently announced investment in 7-Eleven operator Seven & i Holdings, as it looks to build an artificial intelligence economic sphere.

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