A leaked internal video reveals Sony's exploration of AI-powered PlayStation characters. The Verge reported on a PlayStation Studios' advanced technology group video showcasing AI-driven Aloy from the Horizon games. The video, subsequently removed from YouTube due to a copyright claim from Muso (a Sony client), features Sony Interactive Entertainment's director of software engineering, Sharwin Raghoebardajal, conversing with an AI Aloy. This interaction utilizes OpenAI's Whisper for speech-to-text, GPT-4 and Llama 3 for dialogue, Sony's Emotional Voice Synthesis (EVS) for speech, and Mockingbird technology for facial animation.
The AI Aloy, voiced by a robotic text-to-speech generator (not Ashly Burch), displays stiff facial movements and lifeless eyes. Raghoebardajal's conversation covers Aloy's well-being and her quest, with Aloy revealing her clone status and reflecting on its implications. The demo seamlessly transitions into Horizon Forbidden West gameplay, where the conversation continues, highlighting the potential and the somewhat jarring effect of interacting with a controlled character in this way. The prototype, developed with Guerrilla Games, showcases the technology's potential, although Sony hasn't confirmed its use in public-facing products.
Sony's AI exploration isn't surprising, given industry-wide interest in AI technology. Microsoft's AI, Muse, generates game design ideas, while Keywords Studios' AI-driven game development experiment failed, highlighting AI's limitations in replacing human talent. EA considers AI "the very core" of its business, and Capcom uses generative AI for environmental design. Asad Qizilbash of PlayStation Studios emphasizes AI's importance for Gen Z and Gen Alpha gamers seeking personalized experiences, citing AI-driven NPC interactions as an example. Activision's use of generative AI in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has also faced criticism.
The demo serves as a compelling demonstration of Sony's technological advancements, though the integration of this technology into future PlayStation games remains unconfirmed.
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