Dec 11, 2024
We are here for creators. — Connecting with Creators Around the World with Technology at Our Core (2/2)
At Sony’s 2024 Corporate Strategy Meeting, Sony Group leadership shared Sony’s aim to build the future of creation alongside the creator community. They referred to this strategic direction as the “Creation Shift.” For Sony Group, which operates businesses in many creator-focused domains such as games, pictures, electronics, research and development is an essential part of this vision. What role will Sony R&D organizations play in building this future, and how do they plan to get there?
We spoke with Sony Group CTO Hiroaki Kitano about the role of technology and his stance on AI.
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Hiroaki Kitano
CTO of Sony Group
Profile
Contributing to the Evolution of Technology by Staying Close to Creators
──What does "technology" mean to Sony?
Technology is the foundation of every industry we operate in In some cases, technology is used to provide a variety of products and services; in other cases, it is an aspect of building a broader social infrastructure.
The same is true for Sony. This is obvious for products such as televisions, cameras, audio equipment, and semiconductors, but pictures, music, and games are also supported by technology, in areas like production and distribution. Technology is an important means of creating content worlds and directly affects the user experience itself.
For example, there are expressions made possible through the increased flexibility of filming offered by the VENICE 2 and VENICE Extension system 2, such as the footage of the interior of a racing car in the film “Gran Turismo.” In addition, 360 Virtual Mixing Environment (360VME) can reproduce the sound field of an immersive audio studio while in a remote environment. In the first place, the world of games is achieved on a platform that is the culmination of technology, the game console. Furthermore, GT Sophie (Gran Turismo Sophie TM) has succeeded in reproducing races much more realistically than before by utilizing the latest AI technology. AI technology will continue to expand creators' expressive capabilities and broaden users' gaming experiences.
──How does Sony approach technology development for creators?
While it is of course important to enhance our own ability to create technology, there is a limit to what single company alone can achieve. We would like to actively strengthen our partnerships with domestic and international organizations, including start-ups, universities, and research institutions.
Creators should be empowered to use whatever technologies best expand their artistic pursuits. At Sony, we aim to develop useful and empowering technologies for creators. To do this, we need to develop and offer technologies that creators feel compelled and excited by. I believe there are a variety of approaches, some of which are unique to the Sony Group, and some of which are based on collaboration with external parties. In all cases, our central motivation is that “We are here for creators.”
──Kitano-san, you are involved in the international community, especially in the area of AI. What are your thoughts on how to get involved?
There is no doubt that AI has an impact on industry, society, and the world as a whole. At the same time, there is not yet a global standard framework for AI development in place. Therefore, I am also participating in various international communities to help build these frameworks.
When discussing AI, the topic tends to focus on efficiency and productivity. However, as a company that walks hand in hand with creators, Sony believes that we can understand and convey the voice of creators in order to protect their rights. Since 2023, various international conferences have continued the discussion of striking a balance between creators' rights protection and AI development. The reality is that there are not many members who can give voice to the creators in these conferences. Sony's continued advocacy from the position of empowering creators will lead to the healthy development of both creation and AI. It is also the role of the Sony Group to maintain a strong relationship with the creator community.
I personally believe that the advancement of research and development in AI should bring great value to society, and we should encourage exploratory research and development in this space. On the other hand, we must not forget that there are issues that need to be resolved, such as copyright issues and cultural, regional, and linguistic biases in the study data. I recognize that we must strike a balance between protecting the rights of creators while allowing R&D to move forward. This is an important role I must play both at Sony and external communities.
We will continue to reach out to collaborators in academia, industry, and governance so that we can work toward the advancement of technology while supporting the best interests of creators.
Connect with Creators Around the World,
Co-Creating New Entertainment
──What do you think is an important perspective or mindset for Sony engineers and researchers?
Technology is constantly evolving, but the accelerated deployment of AI is unprecedented. We need to understand this change and become a player in its evolution. In this sense, I would first like to see them actively participate in the external community. I am involved in many external communities, and through these activities, new collaborations are often initiated. Especially in AI-related fields, there are a limited number of major international players, and discussions with them can provide important information for strategic decision-making and participation in projects.
I would like to see the engineers seek out external collaborations. Doing so will help our technical leaders grow, expanding their own perspective and making key contributions to the technical field at large.
We want to connect with people around the world through our products, services, games, music, and pictures, but as I mentioned earlier, we cannot achieve this on our own. By connecting with creators around the world and co-creating new forms of entertainment, we are able to reach and connect with even more people. To this end, I hope that members of Sony Group will broaden their horizons to the entire globe and become involved in diverse communities.
