“Just insanity”: Sony’s “ghost player” patent sparks debate over AI-assisted gaming
Sony recently filed a patent for AI technology that could play parts of video games for players that they get stuck on. When the news broke, people blasted the "ghost player" concept. Because at that point, what are you buying the system and game for, if you aren't going to play yourself?
What is Sony’s AI ghost player?
The patent was originally filed in September 2024, but the report about it wasn't published until fairly recently, when it was spotted by the AI news website AllAboutAI.
Sony's patent was to look into a "ghost player" that could play at all levels of a given game, from the easiest Story mode to the most challenging versions. Instead of stopping gameplay, the AI would assist directly. The Full Game mode of the "ghost player" would complete entire sections of the game for the supposed player, who could sit back and watch instead of improving their gaming skills and learning how to do it on their own.
Sony's reasoning behind the concept, according to the filing, was that games these days are "very complicated" and cause players to struggle to complete them, or just give up entirely.
Players reacted strongly to Sony’s patent
After the patent circulated, reactions poured in from across gaming communities. Many responses skewed negative, while others focused on long-term consequences.
"As a single-player game speedrunner, these are scary news," @veeplaysttv tweeted. "We are entering scary times where #AI assistance is disguised as tech."
Others responded more bluntly. "All these players nowadays need their [expletive] hand held… just insanity," wrote @TheGhostOfHope. Similarly, @_Butter21 added, "Letting the 'computer' win the game for you.. Pathetic."
Some players reflected on older habits instead. "What happened to getting stuck and putting the game down for a couple months?" @groovyycat asked. Meanwhile, @DATDUMBYOTE recalled relying on magazines or YouTube for help back in the day.
Accessibility concerns also entered the conversation. However, not everyone welcomed the feature even then. "I have to speak my truth. No AI. No mods, no to using 4 [different] things to play the game." @MrBrokenEyes wrote. "I want to play the d*mn game out of the box like everyone else. This idea sucks."
Others worried about achievements and player growth. "...I don't like this...I don't like this one bit. This makes trophies that could have presented a challenge not as valuable if people can just have AI do it for them. The people who get stuck need to just 'get good' and/or look up a guide to help them," @xVi_Vixenx tweeted.
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