Sony Has Patented An AI That Will Play Games For You

Sony has filed a patent application for an "automated artificial intelligence control mode for playing specific tasks during gaming applications" that could act as an autopilot program for players. Spotted by SegmentNext, the patent details a method that assigns a default AI profile to the player and then learns how to evolve its generic set of actions.

As the player engages in multiple sessions of a game, the AI will watch and learn, eventually reaching a point where it can make similar decisions. The idea is that eventually, the player will be able to let the AI take over and play the game for them, allowing for the program to complete tasks that are possibly too difficult for the user.

The AI will "proceed in automatic mode to complete specific game tasks that are difficult for the user," the patent reads. "If the AI character has completed specific tasks, those tasks can be identified as being completed by the user with assistance from the AI game controller."

Other examples given include the player turning on Automatic Mode to allow the AI to take their place in a multiplayer co-op game while they attend to other matters, eventually returning to the game instead of exiting entirely.

This patent builds on Sony's push into the AI sector, as the company established its Sony AI organization in 2019 dedicated to the "research and development of AI in both physical and virtual space through multiple world-class flagship projects."

Sony isn't the only gaming company interested in improved AI either, as Microsoft announced in March that it had acquired The Marsden Group, a global tech group with a focus on infrastructure and industrial manufacturing. While it's unlikely that you'll see much of this acquisition reflected in the Xbox game space, Microsoft did note its cloud, Edge, and AI products will benefit from its new purchase.