Sony has patented an AI that will play your games for you

Sony has patented a concept for using AI to study someone’s play style and potentially take over playing the game for them.

The idea is explained in detail in a recent patent application, spotted by SegmentNext, which describes the feature as an ‘automated artificial intelligence control mode for playing specific tasks during gaming applications’.

According to the patent, the method involves assigning a default AI profile to the player, which starts off with a generic set of behaviours.

As the player plays a game multiple times, the AI will study their behaviour and apply it to the AI profile, meaning over time it will start to make similar decisions to the player.

The idea is to eventually end up with an AI profile that plays similarly to the player, who will have the option to let the AI take over and play the game on their behalf.

An example given is players asking the AI profile to “proceed in automatic mode to complete specific game tasks that are difficult for the user”.

The patent also points out that games may be able to flag if a player needed AI help to beat a task. “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,” it explains.

Another example given is online multiplayer co-op games, where a player may need to leave the game to eat or work. In this situation, instead of the game having to end, the player can turn on the ‘automatic mode’ and have the AI play with their friends in their absence until they can return to take over again.

Sony established a new organisation in late 2019 to advance research and development of AI.

With offices in Japan, Europe and the US, Sony AI was created to “drive the research and development of AI in both physical and virtual space through multiple world-class flagship projects”, and launched with three projects in gaming, imaging and sensing, and gastronomy.