Sony and AI: A Tsunami of Video Games and the Curation Challenge

Sony and AI: A Complex Relationship

The video game industry and artificial intelligence (AI) have a tumultuous relationship. In December 2025, Larian Studios, known for Baldur's Gate 3, sparked a strong reaction by introducing generative AI in Divinity. Faced with pressure from players and its own developers, the Belgian studio quickly backtracked on the use of AI for concept art as early as January. A similar episode occurred in March 2026 with Capcom, which acknowledged its internal use of AI, also provoking heated debates.

On May 8, during its annual investor presentation, Sony Interactive Entertainment decided to enter this controversial field. CEO Hideaki Nishino introduced several internally developed tools. Among them is Mockingbird, already used by studios like Naughty Dog and San Diego Studio, which rapidly transforms facial capture data into 3D animations, a process that previously took several hours. Another tool allows the conversion of videos of real hairstyles into detailed 3D models, thus eliminating one of the longest processes in character creation.

An AI Integration Strategy

Sony has never hidden its ambition to integrate AI into the PlayStation ecosystem. However, the recent presentation marks a significant step due to its level of detail. In collaboration with Bandai Namco, Sony launched an initiative around generative AI for video production. Hiroki Totoki, CEO of Sony Group, highlighted considerable gains in speed and productivity per individual, while admitting challenges in consistency and control. A statement that resonates as both a promise and an acknowledgment of current limitations.

Nishino sought to reassure by specifying that AI aims to enhance the capabilities of teams, not replace them. According to him, the vision, design, and emotional impact of games will continue to depend on the talent of the studios. This assertion, while comforting, has become a common refrain in the speeches of tech companies.

Sony's Curatorial Role

The most intriguing analysis of Sony's presentation concerns not just the tools, but the role the company intends to play in the future gaming landscape. Nishino envisions a "significant increase in the volume and diversity of content" thanks to AI. In other words, AI lowers the barriers to entry, allowing more people to produce games, which could flood the market. In this context, Sony does not wish to be merely a distributor but aspires to become a curator.

The head of Sony Interactive Entertainment explained that this influx of content would heighten the need for "curation and recommendation" on the platform. Sony's flagship franchises, such as God of War, Horizon, and The Last of Us, along with its internal studios, would be "key differentiators." This model resembles that of app stores, where anyone can publish, but visibility is controlled by the platform operator.

Economic and Technological Stakes

In France, the video game market reached €5.85 billion in 2025, with 40 million players and around 700 studios, according to SELL. The upcoming PlayStation 6, developed with AMD, already incorporates components dedicated to AI to enhance upscaling and rendering. Although Guerrilla Games in Amsterdam and Firesprite in Liverpool were not specifically mentioned as users of Mockingbird, Nishino described a "broad" deployment of the tool.

Totoki also reported a memory shortage due to the growing demand for AI, affecting consoles, smartphones, and laptops. For the current fiscal year, the impact on PlayStation components would be limited thanks to negotiations with suppliers. However, the next generation of consoles remains vulnerable to this shortage, a problem that could manifest sooner than expected in this ever-evolving industry.

Sony seems to have mastered the art of transforming a potential risk into a compelling selling point, promising a creative explosion while positioning itself as the essential filter to maintain quality in the face of the abundance of AI-generated content.