Sony is alarming players with an idea that seems to be taken straight from Black Mirror. It's about censoring video games in real time
Sony patents artificial intelligence-based real-time game censoring technology that sounds like the script for an episode of Black Mirror.
With all the heated discussions about AI ethics and its role, Sony's just adding fuel to the fire. The Japanese giant has filed a patent titled: "Automatic and Personalized Video Content Editing Using AI." This title conceals an advanced system capable of modifying gameplay on the fly. This tech is supposed to let users create their own filters so the game can automatically spot and get rid of stuff they don't want to see.
The documentation describes mechanisms straight out of science fiction films: the system could mute vulgarities in real-time, apply censorship bars, blur images, and even use deepfake technology to replace objects or change dialogue lines. Sony says this feature is handy not just for parental controls, but also for making things more comfortable for players with phobias. An example given is the ability to remove clowns or spiders from the screen if the user wishes.
However, this idea raises legitimate concerns about the integrity of creators' artistic vision. Critics point to titles like The Last of Us Part II, where brutality and discomfort are intentional means of expression, essential for understanding the emotional weight of the story. Cutting out drastic scenes by AI could distort the work's meaning, creating a sanitized, depthless product.
However, it's worth keeping a cool head. Registering a patent in the technology industry often serves merely to secure rights to an idea "just in case" and is not synonymous with implementing the feature. Sony's history includes cases of futuristic patents (such as connecting PS3 consoles into a holographic projector) that never went beyond the documentation phase. Just because this project exists doesn't mean PlayStation 6 is definitely going to have censorship, but the way the company is exploring things does make you wonder.
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Author: Peter Doron
Educated as a journalist and political scientist. In GRYOnline.pl since 2004. He started with previews and reviews, to join the Newsroom after a year and stayed there ever since. Currently the head of this department, where he manages a team composed of both specialists in their field and ambitious newbies, eager to learn and do their best. Former editor of emu@dreams, where he got by his fascination with emulation and consoles, as well as a reviewer for GB More magazine. A fan of information, games (it would take a long time to list favorite genres), the Internet, a good sci-fi and fantasy book, will also watch a well-crafted series or movie. Husband, father of three children, aesthete, advocate of moderation in private life.
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