Gran Turismo developer teasing "breakthrough" collaboration with Sony AI

eurogamer.net:

Gran Turismo developer Polyphony Digital and Sony AI are teasing a «breakthrough» collaboration set to be announced in full this Wednesday, 9th February.

Details are limited as present, as is the way with teases, with Sony AI's Twitter feed only saying that Wednesday will see it «launch [its] Gaming Flagship and announce a breakthrough project in AI created through a collab with Polyphony Digital Inc. and Sony Interactive Entertainment.» The tweet is accompanied by an (equally unilluminating) video — also shared by Polyphony, alongside the words, «Change the game» — which you'll find below.

Sony AI, if you're unfamiliar, was established in April 2020 with the goal of pursuing «groundbreaking research in AI and robotics in the realm of entertainment». Its website list four main areas of interest — AI ethics, imaging and sensing, gastronomy, and, of course, gaming — with this week's Polyphony news set to be the first project announced until the latter banner.

Sony AI x Polyphony Digital Race Together — Teaser.

As for what the Polyphony collaboration may bring, comments shared by Sony CEO Kenichiro Yoshida last year perhaps shed more light on the matter; announcing a partnership between Sony AI and PlayStation, Yoshida said the companies would be focusing on «developing Game AI Agents that can be a player's in-game opponent or collaboration partner», with the ultimate goal of delivering game experiences that are «even richer and more enjoyable».

Based on all that, it's probably not too outlandish to assume Polyphony and Sony AI are poised to announce something in the realm of AI drivers for Gran Turismo 7, but we'll need to wait until this Wednesday, 9th February for a proper reveal.

Thankfully, those looking for more