Sony Interactive Entertainment has positioned artificial intelligence as a 'powerful tool' to assist PlayStation game development, and says studios including Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studio have already integrated AI-powered animation tools into workflows 1.
In an earnings presentation on May 8, 2026, Sony described AI as meant to 'augment' developers' capabilities rather than replace them, stressing that 'the vision, the design, and the emotional impact of our games will always come from the talent of our studios and performers' 1.
At its studios, Sony says it is automating repetitive workflows, improving software‑engineering productivity and accelerating areas including quality assurance, 3D modelling and animation through new AI tools 1. A prominent example is Mockingbird, which animates 3D facial models using performance capture data 1.
Sony says Mockingbird finishes animation work that previously took hours 'in a fraction of a second.' The company confirms Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studio have used the tool, and work from Mockingbird has appeared in titles including Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered 1.
Generative AI has been turning up in larger game productions even as many independent developers continue to reject it; Sony framed its approach against wider industry debates over displacement, creative control and intellectual property 1.
Sony's presentation did not disclose specific financial investments in AI, instead presenting the technology as a means to optimise existing workflows 1.
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