Microsoft is already testing with AI as a video game guide, and it looks like Sony is at least interested in trying something similar.
It’s no secret that Sony is experimenting with AI technology for video games in more ways than one. Footage of an AI replica of Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West, that you could theoretically talk to, leaked last year and though details are purposefully vague, AI tech will be a key part of the PlayStation 6.
As such, it’s probably only a matter of time before we see some form of AI integration in PlayStation games, such as AI generated assets, which have cropped up in the likes of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Recently, a new patent filed by Sony was spotted and it talks about using generative AI to create a ‘ghost player’ that can essentially play video games for you.
The patent can be found on the World Intellectual Property Organization website and while it was initially filed in 2024, it was only published and discovered recently.
Rather than have developers program the solutions for tricky levels or puzzles into it, the AI model will be trained on not just your own gameplay, but also footage posted to social media and streaming sites like YouTube and Twitch.
From that, the AI ghost supposedly learns how the game is played and can determine an optimal solution. The patent mentions two distinct modes: a guide mode, where the ghost shows the solution for you to copy, and a complete mode which does as the name suggests.
There’s even mention of allowing you to talk with the ghost and have them explain what you need to do, as well as having their appearance be customisable.
The patent goes as far as to suggest the ghost could take the form of characters from other games or movies, which just sounds like a legal nightmare.
While there’s certainly well-meaning intent behind the idea, this patent is ultimately offering a solution to a long since answered question. A lot of games nowadays have their own means of assisting players and not just through different difficulty options.
Some games will let you skip sections if you fail one too many times (which Insomniac does with the puzzles in its Spider-Man game) or have characters provide hints, like in God Of War: Ragnarök.
Not to mention the PlayStation 5 has a Game Help system already in place, that lets you watch videos of how other players bypassed any challenges you’re stuck on.
The act of having the game play itself isn’t even new, since Nintendo dabbled with the same idea with its Super Guide feature. For a while, Mario platformers like Super Mario Galaxy 2 and the New Super Mario Bros. games had an option where if you died enough times, you’d unlock the option for the game to autoplay itself and beat a level for you.
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It was only ever used in five games, though, before quietly vanishing, which suggests Nintendo figured out it wasn’t very popular or useful.
Considering this is only a patent, it’s entirely possible that Sony may not go through with this idea, as opposed to Microsoft which is still testing its Copilot AI as a video game guide.
A study last year showed that AI is actually quite useless for assisting players with games and often spreads misinformation – and it’s easy to see how that’s going to happen if it’s watching videos on TikTok to ‘learn’ how to play a game.
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This is an interesting development in gaming technology! It could definitely change the way we experience certain games. Excited to see how this AI tech evolves and impacts gameplay.