Sony announces the establishment of ‘Sony AI’

Sony announced earlier today that it would be establishing a new organisation within the company, focusing on the development of Artificial Intelligence. Unlike many other AI projects however, Sony is tackling the technology in order to “[f]ill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology”, and “unleash[ing] human imagination and creativity with AI“.

Offices for the organisation will be based in Japan, Europe, and the United States. According to Sony, “Sony AI will combine world class fundamental research and development with Sony's unique technical assets, especially in Imaging & Sensing Solutions, Robotics and Entertainment (Games, Music and Movies), driving transformation across all existing business domains and contributing to the creation of new business domains. In addition, one of Sony AI's long-term goals is to contribute to the resolution of shared global issues extending beyond Sony's business domains”.

One of the industries that Sony aims to target with this research and technology is the gaming industry, saying “Initially, Sony AI will launch three flagship projects in the areas of gaming, imaging & sensing, and gastronomy. The adoption of new AI technologies developed through these flagship projects will be critical to further enhancing the value of Sony's gaming and sensor businesses in coming years. This research will be pursued in close collaboration with the relevant Sony Group business units”.

While AI has become a recent sector for major tech companies to enter and attempt development in, Sony’s approach appears to be looking at the technology through the lens of creativity, as opposed to virtual assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant.

Sony is already well known for having developed AIBO, the robotic dog companion, whose function is nothing more than to be a companion. Extending this mentality into the video game market, in particular with VR, which PlayStation has invested in, could lead to potentially interesting and innovative projects within the space.

As graphics have improved year-over-year in video games, AI has remained mostly stagnant. Sony’s reinvigorated push into the market could serve well for both the company’s future, and consumers alike, creating games that “fill the world with emotion”.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Sony’s new investment in AI? What potential benefits do you see coming from this? What do you think the next big breakthrough in video game AI will be? Let us know down below.

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