Advancing AI: Highlights from March

March was a month of notable advancements, global discussions, and strategic collaborations, reinforcing our commitment to responsible AI innovation. From pioneering multi-modal AI models and contributing to industry-defining reports to showcasing AI’s role in creativity and gaming, we continued to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Our presence at SXSW 2025, new research in AI-powered audio processing, and GT Sophy’s latest racing intelligence updates all highlight how AI can enhance human imagination, collaboration, and performance.

Here’s a look at the milestones that shaped March.

Latest Research

MMAudio: Advancing Multi-Modal AI for Audio Understanding

This month, we published our work MMAudio, a cutting-edge AI model designed for multi-modal audio understanding. Traditional AI models process sound in isolation, but MMAudio takes a different approach—integrating diverse speech, music, and environmental audio into a unified framework.

Why it matters:

• More natural AI-driven audio synthesis for applications in music, speech processing, and interactive environments.
• Improved contextual understanding for AI systems working with complex soundscapes.
• Enhanced human-AI collaboration, from composition to real-time voice assistants.

Read the blog post to explore how MMAudio is shaping the future of AI-driven audio synthesis.

GT Sophy 2.1: The Next Evolution of Superhuman AI

Our partnership with Polyphony Digital and Sony Interactive Entertainment continues with the release of GT Sophy 2.1, the latest iteration of our AI racing agent. GT Sophy 2.1 exhibits greater levels of sportsmanship, finesse, and temperament, giving Gran Turismo 7 players new ways to elevate their gameplay and creativity.

Why it matters:

• Improved AI experience is relevant for players of all skill levels.
• Greater realism in mimicking human behavior at all skill levels.
• More opportunities for players to discover and express creativity in gameplay.

Watch the YouTube trailer or read the press release to see how GT Sophy 2.1 is changing the landscape of AI agents.

Read about it in Ars Technica

Jonathan Gitlin, Automotive Editor at Ars Technica, discusses Sony AI and PDI’s unveiling GT Sophy 2.1 and the newest capabilities.

“Sony AI and Polyphony Digital have been hard at work retraining it from being able to dominate the world's best with ease into something that's more fun for the rest of us to compete against. The latest refinement is GT Sophy 2.1, which appeared as part of GT7's latest update yesterday. It's now enabled at more tracks, and you can finally set up custom races at those tracks using the better AI.” 👉Read the full story here

Sony at Global Events

SXSW 2025: Exploring AI’s Creative Potential

This month, Sony AI took the stage at SXSW 2025, joining two insightful discussions on AI’s evolving role in creativity and human collaboration:

March 10 – "Pushing Creativity to New Bounds"

Sony AI’s Peter Stone joined a panel with Cynthia Breazeal exploring how advanced AI models are transforming music, art, and storytelling. The discussion highlighted AI’s ability to augment human creativity while preserving artistic integrity.

Key takeaway: Listen to Peter Stone's Panel here.

March 12 – "Can Humans and AI Collaborate to Extend Creativity?"

Sony AI COO Michael Spranger sat down with Reuters journalist Dawn Chmielewski for a fireside chat on AI’s role in creative fields. Spranger emphasized AI’s potential to support and enhance human imagination, rather than replace it.

Key takeaway: One of the fundamental challenges of AI adoption is that it is often “engineer first” rather than “creatives first.” This means creators are often trying to adopt technology that doesn’t meet their needs. AI is a tool that needs to be in service to human storytelling that sits at the heart of creativity.

Sony AI in News

Sony AI’s Contributions to the AAAI 2025 Presidential Report

This year, Sony AI played a key role in shaping the AAAI 2025 Presidential Report, an influential publication that outlines the state of AI research, ethical considerations, and future directions for the field. The report, curated by leading AI experts, provides a strategic vision for AI’s role in science, industry, and society.

Key contributions from Sony AI’s leadership:

• Peter Stone, Sony AI Executive Director and past AAAI President, helped shape the report’s perspective on reinforcement learning, robotics, and AI’s role in augmenting human capabilities. His work continues to define how AI can enhance autonomous decision-making and interactive systems.
• Dr. Hiroaki Kitano, President of Sony Research Inc. contributed insights on AI-driven scientific discovery and interdisciplinary collaboration. Kitano-san, a renowned AI researcher and founding president of the RoboCup Federation, emphasized how AI and automation are revolutionizing fields from healthcare to computational biology. His leadership in AI ethics, large-scale knowledge systems, and scientific innovation has been instrumental in shaping Sony AI’s long-term vision.

The AAAI Presidential Report serves as a key reference for AI researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders, ensuring that AI development remains ethical, responsible, and aligned with human values. Read the full report here.

What's Next for Sony AI

Stay tuned for our presence at ICLR 2025, the Thirteenth International Conference on Learning Representations on April 24th. For now, take a walk down memory lane and rediscover our ICLR research that was presented last year:

• Revolutionizing Creativity with CTM and SAN: Sony AI's Groundbreaking Advances in Generative AI for Creators
• Sony AI at ICLR 2024: Pioneering the Future of AI with Cutting-Edge Research

Join the Conversation

We’d love to hear your thoughts on our March highlights! Connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter, and let us know what you’d like to see in future editions. Until next month, keep imagining the possibilities with Sony AI.