Sony has been granted a patent for an AI-driven in-game assistant that can point players to a solution or take over and complete difficult segments for them. The application was filed in 2023 and published through patent registries in 2025; the filing is publicly viewable on WIPO.
The system described in the patent accepts natural language queries to identify where a player is stuck, and then offers a set of responses. It can show a short demonstration – a so-called ghost character playing the bit – or hand control to the AI to execute the action itself. The patent specifically calls the feature ghost assistance, and notes the ghost could be built from footage of other players.
PC and console players will recognize echoes of PlayStation 5’s Game Help, which surfaces videos and tips when someone is stalled. The patent suggests a tighter, in-game interface that blends guidance and direct intervention instead of just pointing to an external clip. All About AI first highlighted the patent filing and provides a short write-up on the design and mechanics, and the original patent document is available for anyone who wants to read the technical language behind the idea.
There are clear practical questions raised by the proposal. Pulling footage from public video platforms to synthesize a ghost raises copyright and attribution issues, and the option to hand control to an AI touches on fairness in multiplayer and on how studios might police automated play. Sony has already filed other patents around AI-driven content handling, including a recent system that can censor or alter audiovisual material in real time.
How publishers would implement this, and whether players will accept an AI that can take over parts of a game, are open questions. The patent shows one path forward: making help more immediate and less jarring than flipping to an external walkthrough, but it also points to a future where machines can mimic or replace human play for brief stretches.
The patent filing is here: WIPO patent document WO2025080356. Coverage summarizing the filing is available at All About AI. For context on Sony’s other recent AI filings see this report on a separate Sony patent for real-time content filtering: Sony patent for AI system that can censor games in real time.
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