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November 20, 2019
Tokyo, Japan - Sony Corporation ("Sony") today announced the establishment of Sony AI. This new organization, with offices globally in Japan, Europe, and the United States, will advance fundamental research and development of AI (artificial intelligence).
Sony's Purpose is to "Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology." Recognizing that AI will play a vital role in the fulfillment of this Purpose, Sony AI is being established with the mission to "unleash human imagination and creativity with AI.
Sony AI will combine world class fundamental research and development with Sony's unique technical assets, especially in Imaging & Sensing Solutions, Robotics and Entertainment (Games, Music and Movies), driving transformation across all existing business domains and contributing to the creation of new business domains. In addition, one of Sony AI's long-term goals is to contribute to the resolution of shared global issues extending beyond Sony's business domains.
Sony AI will drive the research and development of AI in both physical and virtual space through multiple world-class flagship projects as well as other explorative research projects, including AI ethics.
Initially, Sony AI will launch three flagship projects in the areas of gaming, imaging & sensing, and gastronomy. The adoption of new AI technologies developed through these flagship projects will be critical to further enhancing the value of Sony's gaming and sensor businesses in coming years. This research will be pursued in close collaboration with the relevant Sony Group business units.
In order to drive these projects and achieve truly innovative research, Sony is eager to work with top global AI talent with an aim to attract world-class AI researchers and engineers. Sony believes that extraordinary innovation requires diversity of both talent and approaches, and this will be reflected in the composition and operation of Sony AI. Recognizing the power and influence of AI technologies, Sony AI will contribute to society through the development of AI that is fair, transparent, and accountable.
Sony AI will be headed globally by Hiroaki Kitano (President and CEO, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.; Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation), and the American site will be headed by Peter Stone.
Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation. President and CEO, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. President, the Systems Biology Institute. Professor, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Founding President, RoboCup Federation. President, International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) (2009-2011). Member of the AI & Robotics Council (2016-2018) and Quantum Computing Council (2019-2020). Recipient of the IJCAI Computers and Thought Award in 1993, Special Award of Prix Ars Electronica 2000, Nature Award for Creative Mentoring in Science in 2009. An invited artist for Biennale di Venezia 2000 and Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2001.
David Bruton Jr. Centennial Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2004-2006), Guggenheim Fellow, AAAI Fellow, and Fulbright Scholar (2008-2009). Winner of IJCAI Computers and Thought Award winner (2007). President, RoboCup Federation. One of the most widely cited researchers in Reinforcement Learning and Robotics academic papers.
