Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a patent detailing a new gameplay assistance system dubbed AI Ghost, a feature designed to help PlayStation players progress through games by using artificial intelligence trained on large amounts of gameplay data.
According to the patent, the system allows an AI ghost character to appear alongside the player on PlayStation consoles during gameplay and demonstrate , or even complete, in-game actions based on learned behavior. The system links an active game session to an assistance AI engine. When a player enables ghost assistance, the engine analyzes the current game state in real time and identifies the scenario the player is facing. It then generates control inputs for a ghost character, which is rendered in the game world and performs context-sensitive actions along the same interactive path as the player. These actions are not generic replays, but are generated dynamically based on the player’s current situation.
The AI engine is trained using gameplay footage collected from a wide range of sources, including user-generated content, prior play sessions, narrative sequences, combat encounters, exploration footage, and other recorded gameplay data. By extracting contextual features from this training material, the AI model learns how different scenarios are typically completed and what inputs are required to progress. During live gameplay, the system compares the current scenario against this learned data to decide how the ghost should act.
A key aspect of the patent is the use of selectable “mode settings.” Players can choose how much control the AI Ghost has and what it focuses on. In a guide mode, the ghost demonstrates actions for the player to follow, such as movement paths, combat techniques, or puzzle solutions. In a complete mode, the ghost can temporarily take over and complete tasks or sections of the game on the player’s behalf. Additional stylistic modes include story-focused playthroughs, combat-only guidance, exploration and item discovery paths, or a full game mode that mirrors a standard playthrough.
The patent also describes dynamic mode switching, allowing assistance levels or styles to change mid-session. These switches can be triggered manually by the player or automatically by the system based on player behavior, preferences, or detected difficulty. In some cases, the ghost may provide visual cues, controller input examples, highlighted objects, or even verbal guidance through an animated character. It is also mentioned that the AI Ghost could function as part of game logic, system software, or middleware, potentially allowing it to assist even older or legacy titles.
