Sony deploys Mockingbird AI tool at Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studio
sony reveals that its ai tool mockingbird completes animation work in a fraction of a second and has been used by naughty dog for the last of us and horizon zero dawn remastered.
Sony outlined its integration of generative AI in game development during an earnings presentation, emphasizing a strategy of augmentation over replacement. The company detailed the use of a proprietary tool called "Mockingbird," which automates 3D facial animation using performance capture data. This tool has been adopted by first-party studios including Naughty Dog and Santa Monica Studio, appearing in titles such as Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered. By automating repetitive workflows, Mockingbird reduces animation processes that previously took hours to a fraction of a second. Sony explicitly stated that while AI optimizes data processing, the company is not replacing human performers or creatives.
Additionally, Sony partnered with Bandai Namco to explore Generative AI in video production. The collaboration identified "massive gains in speed and productivity per person" despite current limitations in model consistency and controllability.