Sony detailed plans to expand AI integration across the organization, including game development.
Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki said at a corporate strategy presentation during the latest financial results announcement, “AI will make it easier to undertake more innovative and ambitious projects that were previously difficult due to cost and time constraints.”
“A core principle of how we think about AI is that human creativity must remain at the center. AI is a powerful tool, but it is not a replacement for artists and creators. AI is a catalyst that amplifies human imagination and creates new possibilities.”
Hideaki Nishino, CEO and president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said teams such as Naughty Dog and San Diego Studios have adopted Mockingbird, a tool that generates facial models from performance capture.
This technology was used in recent releases such as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered.
“Importantly, rather than replacing human performers, we are optimizing how the data from these live captures is processed. With Mockingbird, animation work that used to take hours can now be completed in a matter of seconds.”
Sony’s first-party studio also uses AI tools to animate hair, but Nishino says this is labor-intensive due to the large number of hair strands required.
“Our team accelerated this process by filming videos of real hairstyles and having our AI tools output 3D models of hundreds of hairs.”
Nishino emphasized that AI supports a more efficient production environment, improves discovery, and helps games reach the right users.
“These practical applications allow our teams to spend less time on manual, labor-intensive tasks and instead reinvest time into building richer worlds and gameplay for our players.”
He clarified: “The vision, design and emotional impact of our games will always come from the talent of our studio and performers.” “AI is an enhancement to that capability, not a replacement.”
Nishino also highlighted the use of AI in Gran Turismo, particularly Sophy, the AI-powered racing agent. “Taking this further, our world-class creators have already demonstrated the ability to create amazing prototypes that allow NPCs with unique personalities to create vibrant, dynamic worlds for players to explore.”
He mentioned the PlayStation 5 Pro’s latest PSSR feature and how it “uses machine learning to improve image quality and deliver 4K visuals at high frame rates.”
“Through our investments in AI and machine learning, we continue to advance the frontiers of fidelity,” Nishino concluded. “We believe AI will unlock studio creativity, power more selective platforms, and improve the PlayStation experience for players and creators alike.
“With our global player base, rich IP library and integrated ecosystem, AI is a powerful tool for us to deliver truly cutting-edge entertainment experiences.”
