A Sony patent has been discovered that suggests the company is considering creating an artificial intelligence that would allow a computer to play games for you, learning from and eventually mimicking the behavior of individual players

The patent language says it is for "an automated artificial intelligence control mode for playing specific tasks during a gaming application"

As SegmentNext discovered, Sony originally filed this patent in April 2020, as if "Black It sounds like it was ripped straight out of an episode of "Mirror

According to the patent, the artificial intelligence (AI) starts with a default human behavior program, but learns to simulate individual behaviors over time by "monitoring multiple gameplays of a user playing multiple gaming applications" The AI then replicates the gameplay of the users it has studied

Once the AI understands your play style, it can continue to run the game for you while you live the rest of your life On the surface, this sounds very dystopian and perhaps a precursor to Skynet, but the patent points to several practical applications

The application specifically states that it can be used to assist with "tasks that are difficult for the user" In other words, if you are stuck on a boss in the PS5 exclusive Demon's Souls, you can simply flip a switch on the AI and it will clear that section for you It could also be used for tedious grinding tasks in loot games like Destiny 2 or Outriders

It could also be applied to cooperative games You may not have your usual game partner With this AI program, a game like "It Takes Two" could be played by just you and a computer program that simulates your play

Further uses outlined in the patent include use in "competitive multiplayer games For example, if one player leaves in the middle of a match, the AI can simulate the play so that one team can finish the match without being at a disadvantage Essentially, your "online presence is maintained" even if you are offline

Of course, the idea of paying hundreds of dollars for a PS5 console and even tens of dollars for a game just to have the AI play it may seem completely pointless to some, but the patent makes a compelling argument for why it would be useful Just so long as the ability to awaken and destroy all human life is kept in check

It is worth noting that companies file patents all the time to protect their intellectual property rights, but often fail to implement the products and ideas contained in them Earlier this year, a patent was discovered for controlling the PS5 with a banana

While you wait to find out if your dream (or should we say nightmare) of having an AI complete your game becomes a reality, you may still be about to pick up a PS5 Our PS5 buying guide will help you with that