SoftBank Group is weighing a takeover of Allied Universal, the largest private security firm in the United States, in a deal Bloomberg News reported could value the company at about $18 billion. The preliminary discussions would give the Japanese technology investor a large workforce, physical-workplace footprint and data-center customer base for deploying AI-powered robots. No final decision has been made on the deal or its price. Allied Universal provides security staffing for businesses, venues and major events, and has expanded in data-center development and operations. The potential acquisition would align with founder Masayoshi Son's focus on applying artificial intelligence and robotics across industries and strengthening the infrastructure supporting the technology. SoftBank could eventually seek to replace some security staff with robots, although humanoid-like security workers are expected to take more time to deploy. An earlier account described a possible transaction near $30 billion, based on $18 billion of equity and about $12 billion of publicly traded debt; the figures have not been reconciled. SoftBank declined to comment, while Allied Universal did not immediately respond.