The Japanese tech investment company is doubling down on its investment in OpenAI, taking a bigger bet on the potential of artificial intelligence as the technology improves and gains momentum.

SoftBank Group Corp. aims to increase its stake in OpenAI by acquiring up to $1.5 billion in shares from the startup’s employees, according to people familiar with the matter. The Japanese company will make a tender offer for the stock,

The Japanese bank is keen to increase its stake in the AI market leader, which is also backed by Microsoft.