New Delhi, June 24 -- SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son told shareholders on Wednesday that artificial intelligence is still in its early stages and any talk of a bubble is "an insult to AI."

"I think it's blasphemy against AI if you say it's a bubble," Son said at the Japanese conglomerate's annual general meeting.

"It's just the beginning. AI's potential will be unlocked."

The AI investment boom has driven up valuations even as investors question the sustainability of the rally, with SoftBank's share price boosted by Son's all-in bet on OpenAI.

Son has experienced market booms and busts during his career, including the dot-com bubble and the COVID-19 pandemic, when his portfolio fell into the "valley of the coronavirus."

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