Sony executives have described AI tools as "an important foundational technology supporting our strategy"

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Sony has incorporated AI tools into development processes to streamline operations and expedite iteration. In a recent discussion on the Game & Network Services' performance and strategy, Sony Interactive Entertainment leadership highlighted AI's role as a critical technology underpinning their strategic goals.

SIE CEO Hideaki Nishino, alongside studio business CEO Hermen Hulst and VP Lynn Azar, expressed that AI aids in enhancing efficiency by refining development procedures, elevating player experiences, facilitating content discovery, and enabling creators to innovate more substantially across various domains.

Sony exemplified the utility of AI with synthetic voices acting as preliminary stand-ins. The focus, they noted, lies more in boosting quality and accelerating development rather than merely cutting costs.

Incorporating AI is reshaping immersive gaming experiences, including character and world enhancements, by integrating AI capabilities more deeply into their developmental framework. The leadership is also experimenting with AI-specific projects while aspiring for incremental efficiency gains.

Earlier this year, Sony delineated its first-party studios' use of AI tools. Tools like Mockingbird, which creates facial models from performance captures, have been utilized by teams like Naughty Dog and San Diego Studio, notably for use in Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. Nishino remarked that these practical AI applications allow teams to redirect their efforts from time-intensive tasks to developing complex worlds and gameplay.

According to Sony, the essence of their games—vision, design, and emotional depth—stems from the creativity of their developers and performers, with AI serving as an enhancement tool, not a replacement.

Sony's AI emphasis is part of a broader pivot toward a digital-focused strategy, highlighted by its announcement to halt the production of physical discs for upcoming PlayStation games commencing January 2028. However, developers and publishers will still have support to reorder discs for pre-existing launches.