Sony patents AI-powered "Ghost Player" that takes control of games when PlayStation players get stuck

Sony has patented a new AI-powered technology that would allow players to summon a "ghost" version of their character to assist them if they become stuck in a game.

The details:

• As spotted by VGC, the patent, originally filed in September 2024, describes a system known as "Ghost Player" that would provide players with direct assistance through an AI-generated character. The ghost would be trained using existing footage from several online sources, including YouTube, Twitch, and PlayStation Network, allowing it to accurately analyze a player's specific gameplay scenario and provide tailored solutions to their issue.
• The documents state that the system would operate in two primary modes. The first, referred to as "Guide Mode," would see the AI demonstrating how to progress through a challenge while the player watches, whereas the "Complete Mode" would have the AI directly take control and finish the entire section that the player was stuck in.
• Sony also notes that the AI system has an additional four modes: Story Mode, Combat Mode, Exploration Mode, and Full Game Mode. These modes can be switched between and change the behavior of the AI ghost. "Although video game technology has seen many advances, some players find themselves in need of assistance,” Sony explained in the patent. “Games become very complicated, so players who are not experts oftentimes quit playing or find it hard to complete tasks. Players are able to do research for the game or even look up prior gameplays on internet sites, but that process is time-consuming and many times not very relevant to tasks and/or scenarios currently being encountered by the player."