SoftBank Group said on Wednesday it has started operating a new information platform called GaranAI, designed to collect article data from news organizations and publishers and convert that material into data that generative AI systems can use. Content providers, including Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, Kyodo News and some local newspapers, will supply material to the platform and receive compensation in return. According to SoftBank, the content will first be converted into a format that makes it difficult to restore the original articles, then processed into data that is easier for AI systems to handle. The company plans to sell that processed data to AI developers to help improve the accuracy of responses to user questions. SoftBank released a trial version of the platform on Wednesday and has begun accepting applications from AI developers. The operator said it will continue improving the service over the next six months, with a formal launch planned for January next year or later. It also intends to expand the platform so it can accept copyrighted content from a broader range of fields.