Gran Turismo Sophy: Sony AI x Polyphony Digital

[Magog]

Making it life like is probably the biggest hurdle. But as far as turning it back, it might be a little more involved but not implausible. I've seen other games discuss how AI or catch up is engineered, not specially just more optimized driving, but rather lowering the weight of a vehicle, or increasing grip. Perhaps they would even increase power. But all of this could be reversed to delay the reactions or inputs of the AI and give it more of a lifelike response to scenarios, and put it on par with the human competition. Then from whatever variables work, a slider could be engineered to provide X level of driving in a race, or per AI in a custom race.

I don't like that cheating approach. The handling, performance, and physics of the AI cars should be the same as the player. Otherwise it feels off.

 

[GTalaune]

Ok, I watched everything. I think they arrived at really good level of naturality when the AI is hot lapping, it's insanely fast but the inputs feel more or less normal.

In races, the 2nd race was better, but it still twitches a lot while battling, I think this is easily solved by restricting how many movements the AI can make or by interpolating or something, it will be less fast, but still faster than most GT players.

I think if they could gear the max difficulty around the top 10%, it could be really fun !

Edit : In the 2nd race the AI behaves like Max Verstappen to win at all cost, I guess they can also limit that behavior, but it's good to see that the AI is capable of dive bombing in almost a human way.

 

[Jordan]

This is the discussion thread for an article on GTPlanet:

Gran Turismo 7’s “Sophy” Artificial Intelligence Driving System Revealed​

Polyphony Digital has unveiled its new artificially intelligent driving system named “Gran Turismo Sophy”, developed in collaboration with Sony AI. It will be included in Gran Turismo 7 via a future update...

 

[Purple101]

So it's going to go from ai I can walk past. To ai I can't get close to..

Muahaha. What a day

Lets just hope if I play on expert it will at least out up a fight. And not always be a chase the leader who started 1mile up the road etc.

 

[nolifebr]

Neural networks overtake humans in Gran Turismo racing game

A machine-learning approach to car racing.

www.nature.com

This article is behind a payall, but a user with access in Reset Era posted an paragraph

What really stands out is GT Sophy's performance against human drivers in a head-to-head competition. Far from using a lap-time advantage to outlast opponents, GT Sophy simply outraces them. Through the training process, GT Sophy learnt to take different lines through the corners in response to different conditions. In one case, two human drivers attempted to block the preferred path of two GT Sophy cars, yet the AI succeeded in finding two different trajectories that overcame this block and allowed the AI's cars to pass (Fig. 1).

 

[Vspectra]

Thee sheer amount of ego that had to have been behind this.
So instead of actually trying to fix an issue that's has been plaguing the series for decades they would rather involve a multi bilion dollar corporation (surely that is the only way) only to come up with basically a proof if concept for previously unheard concept of fast AI without any clear road map for an actual implementation into the game. If this isn't the ultimate Kaz/PD move then I don't know what is.

"For Sony AI, Gran Turismo Sophy is not just a scientific AI challenge. It is also an important step in unleashing human imagination and creativity with AI - which is our mission. From the very beginning, our focus has been to partner with creators, and in this case PDI, the makers of Gran Turismo, to develop a game AI agent that could not only race competitively against the top Gran Turismo drivers, but one that would be fun for the top drivers to race against."

 

[Jordan]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

 

[Gerarghini]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

Ask him why they're French

 

[MisterWaffles]

I bet the people who argued for pages saying the Sony AI announcement was nothing or wasn’t worth talking about are feeling kind of silly right now lol.

That’s some pretty huge news and I’m excited to see how it improves the gameplay experience of GT7 compared to past entries. We’ve already seen evidence of them making more complex moves in the trailers so I have faith.

 

[Vspectra]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

Is there an estimated timeframe regarding when GT7 fans can look forward to racing against GT Sophy in a future update?

Are you looking into using GT Sophy to replace the current GT7 AI in the career mode and custom races?

Any plans to implement a difficulty slider option for GT Sophy?

 

[Toysuprahot]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

-Will this AI ever be implemented in GT7, and if so when?
-Will we be able to select this AI in the single player experience (career) or just custom races?
-If it comes to career mode, will it only be available using the standard rolling starts and catch the rabbit format or could we change that as well?

 

[Pete_J_C]

hopefully they implement this improved AI early on in GT7, as they have said it will happen in a future content patch, and don't implement it after everyone has completed the single player career. I don't think it needs to be state of the art AI though, just decent and competitive against decent drivers

 

[Silver Arrows]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

If Sophy isn't going to be implemented within GT7 at launch, then what is going to be available for AI specifically within the career mode?

 

[Boxster]

If Sophy isn't going to be implemented within GT7 at launch, then what is going to be available for AI specifically within the career mode?

This.

 

[Scaff]

I don't like that cheating approach. The handling, performance, and physics of the AI cars should be the same as the player. Otherwise it feels off.

Agreed, which makes adapting ability and adding human falability all the more tricky.

 

[Samcastor]

If anyone is familiar with ML or is curious, I do have access to the full paper on Nature so I can provide some excerpts.

 

[Freeman_Cruz]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

Gran Turismo is a video game and its main objective is to provide a realistic simulation that is fun for players.
Sophie seems focused on achieving a "superhuman" driving skill but how do you plan to make it provide an accessible challenge to the diversity of Gran Turismo players?
Is Polyphony considering including error parameters in this AI to make its behavior more "human"? for example, could make mistakes if it is closely followed for a certain time by a player or another AI to simulate the stress and pressure that do real pilots suffer?

 

[queleuleu]

I can't understand GT sometimes. From being one of the worst AI in the racing genre to being published in Nature...

 

[Famine]

Will this AI ever be implemented in GT7, and if so when?

That's already answered. PD plans to introduce Sophy into a future GT7 update, but no time-frame has been given.


What I want to know is if she'll ever drive a Slophy.

 

[regnar]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

Why is this information being released right at the door step of GT7 release, since it appears GT7 will be using the it's original AI, and this appears to be for some future game. Releasing this information might be interpreted for GT7

 

[Yard_Sale]

@Jordan

Ask them if the AI is still subject to the same physics parameters that the player is? We know this has not beeen the case in the past. And watching these latest videos. Some of those lines they’re able to take look impossible.

Also, along the same lines, ask if the AI is going to simulate (and be subject to) lift off oversteer, acceleration oversteer as tire wear comes into play….and just general mistakes that players and real race drivers make irl

Another thing I noticed in the first video. They were all drafting each other down the home straight….but none seemed to be gaining on one another??

 

[Hayden]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

Two questions.
We know GT physics is very close to real world, so how many years before we get to see GT Sophy’s brain, in a real car, door to door racing with real world driving champions?*

How does Sophy’s experience and learning relate to other AI systems? Is her brain easily transferable into an aircraft game, or a shooting game, or would development for a different platform require a blank sheet of paper?

*Edit to elaborate: In GT World, Sophy is aware of all parameters and possible outcomes, even those of unpredictable humans. In the real world, a bit of oil on track or a worn tyre would have a “flat out” driver in the wall.

For real world applications would Sophy need to learn fear, ie, not pushing absolutely as fast as possible for risk of unforeseen circumstances.

 

[O604]

RE: difficulty levels.

In article Jordan posted it says,

“It takes about a day to have an agent go from knowing nothing to being able to drive around a specific track,” said Michael Spranger, COO of Sony AI. “Then, it takes about two days to get into the top five percent of human drivers, then another 10-12 days to really push it to the limit and equal the best drivers out there. Within that time frame, Sophy experiences around 300,000km of driving.”

If this is the case easier AI can be achived simply by limiting the milage and learning of the AI. Which is in line with AI Assistant model they are planning for other games. Which they claim can play on behalf of a player or complete tasks that they can't.

 

[Magog]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

You could ask if they envision an entire grid of Sophy level AI and if it would be possible on PS4 hardware.

Unrelated but if you could also ask if the track creator is coming back for GT7 that would be awesome.

 

[toastet]

This thing is fast due to 100% knowledge of grip levels and track limits with inhuman possibility of throttle and steering inputs. Way too AIish to feel natural or close to any human in my opinion. But we will see the released version in the future. But in the Gallo video driving outside the curbs on the grass just isn't fair. And only possible with informations humans don't get from the game btw having to speed 1000s of laps and making stupid moves outside of the track.

 

[Lion-Face]

This impressed me more than I expected! Looks great and I do hope it comes to the game as soon as reasonably possible. What a leap forward!

 

[Magog]

This thing is fast due to 100% knowledge of grip levels and track limits with inhuman possibility of throttle and steering inputs. Way too AIish to feel natural or close to any human in my opinion. But we will see the released version in the future. But in the Gallo video driving outside the curbs on the grass just isn't fair. And only possible with informations humans don't get from the game btw having to speed 1000s of laps and making stupid moves outside of the track.

That's not really true. One top player was able to learn from the AI's chosen racing line and beat it's lap time with more practice and by emulating it's choices.

 

[GTalaune]

I will have the chance to speak with Kazunori Yamauchi and the Sony AI team about Gran Turismo Sophy in the coming days — let me know if you guys have any specific questions about Sophy that you'd like answered. 👍

Just to add a little bit to what @Freeman_Cruz said.
Have you considered SOPHY to be able to make mistake on their own (not simply when an opponent is right behind).

Are you able to make SOPHY slower, yet still human for less skilled players from the dataset that you have worked on ? Or do you need to train the AI all over again with data from less skilled players ?

 

[Nathaniel_Wu]

Not very familiar with reinforcement learning, I hope they have ways of turning down the new Sophy AI.

 

[McLaren]

Neural networks overtake humans in Gran Turismo racing game

A machine-learning approach to car racing.

www.nature.com

This article is behind a payall, but a user with access in Reset Era posted an paragraph

Interesting overlay. Blue AI makes a great move realizing the two humans are holding the inside, but that's going to affect their line, so they make the under pass. Common thing seen in motorsport. 👍

The red AI though, looks like it slows down enough & cuts the corner quite a bit to make the pass work. Not going to say it isn't realistic, but that could be a bit frustrating to race an AI smart enough to teeter track limits to make maneuvers.