Sony AI, Polyphony Digital and Sony Interactive Entertainment they announced Gran Turismo Sophyone revolutionary artificial intelligence able to compete with the best human pilots in the world.
The announcement had been anticipated in recent days by a teaser from Sony AI, which has now officially unveiled this ambitious project, complete with a video making of, which you can view in the player below, in which the details on the basic idea, creation and objectives of this artificial intelligence, one of which is to offer new game experiences based on artificial intelligence to players from all over the world. Sony AI and Polyphony Digital will evaluate how to integrate GT Sophy in future episodes of the Gran Turismo series and therefore possibly also Gran Turismo 7.
Gran Turismo Sophy is a self-contained AI sophistication that has been “trained” using innovative learning platforms developed through the joint efforts of Sony AI, SIE and Polyphony Digital, the authors of Gran Turismo 7, to master the skills needed to learn the following skills driving and compete on an equal footing with the best drivers in the world:
- Race car control: deep understanding of car dynamics, trajectories and precision maneuvers, to overcome the most demanding circuits.
- Race tactics: ability to make immediate decisions in the face of rapidly changing race situations. GT Sophy showed great command of tactics, including several types of overtaking and some defensive maneuvers.
- Racing label: fundamental aspect for fair play. GT Sophy had to adapt to the rules of sportsmanship, very sophisticated but not too defined, to respect the lanes of the other drivers and not to cause collisions.
The first tests carried out with GT Sophy proved to be more than positive. As we learn from the official press release, Sony put the AI to the test with four of the best Gran Turismo drivers in the world, at two Race Together 2021 Challenge events held on 2 July and 21 October 2021. After some changes made to the Based on the results of the first race, in the second event in October, GT Sophy outperformed the best GT drivers in both timed racing and FIA GTA Championship-style races.
“Sony’s goal is” to fill the world with emotion with the power of creativity and technology “and Gran Turismo Sophy is the perfect embodiment.“commented Kenichiro Yoshida, President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation.
“As a “creative entertainment company”, Sony is the only one to have initiated a collaboration between groups of this magnitude, which has allowed us to build a gaming AI dedicated to fans. It is a sign of great progress in the field of artificial intelligence and offers GT fans around the world exceptional experiences. “.
“Gran Turismo Sophy represents a significant development in the field of AI: it was not born simply to be better than real players, but to be an opponent able to hone the techniques of pilots and stimulate their creativity.“said Hiroaki Kitano, CEO of Sony AI.”We are convinced that this great innovation can open the doors to new opportunities not only for the gaming community, but also in areas such as autonomous racing, autonomous driving, control and high-speed robotics.“.
“Research in the field of AI is an excellent opportunity to reflect on what it really means to be human and how to improve the coexistence between technology and society“explained Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital.
“Since its first title, launched in 1997, the Gran Turismo saga has consistently pushed the boundaries of video games and innovation, thanks to its curiosity about technology. Gran Turismo Sophy is a further demonstration of this philosophy and I am sure that this concept of AI will contribute to the future of video games as well as that of cars.“.
