Gran Turismo 7 players can look forward to racing against a superhuman AI competitor known as ‘Gran Turismo Sophy’, thanks to a breakthrough in artificial intelligence.
Created by Sony AI, GT Sophy was made in conjunction with Gran Turismo developer Polyphony Digital and has been in development for five years. Sophy is a new autonomous AI agent that has been trained to win against the best GT Sport drivers in the world today and uses a brand-new AI algorithm that has helped Sony create a sophisticated racing opponent, one that simply hasn’t been possible until now.
However, unlike your typical AI opponents, Gran Turismo Sophy isn’t the equivalent of putting the in-game’s CPU on hard. It reacts and drives like a real human (or superhuman), and crucially had to master three essential driving skills using deep reinforcement learning (essentially, the process of repeating and learning countless scenarios until the best outcome is achieved).
“Gran Turismo Sophy is a significant development in AI whose purpose is not simply to be better than human players, but to offer players a stimulating opponent that can accelerate and elevate the players’ techniques and creativity to the next level,” said Hiroaki Kitano, CEO of Sony AI. “In addition to making contributions to the gaming community, we believe this breakthrough presents new opportunities in areas such as autonomous racing, autonomous driving, high-speed robotics and control.”
Creating a superhuman opponent
The first element Sophy had to master was race car control. Sophy needed to understand car dynamics, racing lines, and precision maneuvers to conquer challenging tracks. Next, Sophy had to learn racing tactics. Split-second decision-making skills are required when racing to deal with ever-evolving situations, so GT Sophy had to master tactics like slipstream passing, crossover passes, and even defensive maneuvers like blocking. Perhaps the most human-like skill Sophy had to learn, however, was racing etiquette. GT Sophy has been trained to conform to sportsmanship rules, so you won’t be rammed off the track and it will respect opponent driving lines.
These three important elements were achieved in collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment Interactive’s cloud gaming infrastructure, which allowed Sophy to experience thousands of scenarios and learn from them.
Sophy’s in pole position
The results of GT Sophy’s learning and development over time led to the AI comprehensively beating the best GT Sport drivers in the world. At an event held in July 2021, Sophy lost by a score of 86 points to 70 points. However, during a following event that took place in October, Gran Turismo Sophy beat the best drivers in the world comfortably: 52 points to 104 points.
The key takeaway from Sophy, then, isn’t that Sony has developed a really hard-to-beat CPU opponent, but more that it’s created a life-like, extremely skilled racing opponent that feels like a human player.
Speaking after the racing events versus Sophy, Takuma Miyazono, FIA Gran Turismo Championships 2020 Champion, said: “I completely forgot that I was playing against AI. It was really fun. I want to race with the agent more in the future.”
Emily Jones, FIA Gran Turismo Championships 2020 World Finalist, even noted that GT Sophy’s techniques actually gave her some insight into what she could improve upon when behind the wheel. “It was really exciting to see GT Sophy's racing technique,” said Jones. “I got a lot of inspiration from her.”
So, can we look forward to racing against GT Sophy in Gran Turismo 7 in the future? Yes, is the immediate answer; however, no timeframe has been given as to when the superhuman AI will hit the track. When Sophy does arrive, though, it could change the way we think about computer AI in driving games forever.
Elden Ring review roundup: ‘an unrivaled feat of design and inventiveness’
Reviews for Elden Ring are now live, and it appears that FromSofware’s latest adventure is a rousing success with critics.
Elden Ring is available on February 25 for PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X /S, and PC. The game is currently sitting on a staggering Metacritic score of 97 on PS5 after 28 reviews, which means it’s received universal acclaim and a 97 on OpenCritic after 89 critic reviews.
You can look forward to reading our verdict on Elden Ring soon, but for now, here’s what other gaming critics have had to say about FromSoftware’s latest title.
Our friends at GamesRadar said “suffering has never been as much fun” and awarded Elden Ring a perfect 5 out of 5. Guides Writer Joel Franey said: “Elden Ring is both a refinement and evolution of the Dark Souls formula, presenting an expansive world that's as hostile as it is inviting.”
GamesBeat felt similarly, awarding Elden Ring another perfect score. Writer Jay Henningsen said: “Elden Ring is an exceptional, accomplished work that realizes a fantasy world of solemnity, beauty, and menacing uncertainty you can’t help but lose yourself in.”
Writing for The Guardian , Simon Parkin said that Elden Ring is “an unrivaled feat of design and inventiveness” giving FromSoftware’s game another perfect score, while GameSpot’s Tamoor Hussain said “Elden Ring takes the shards of what came before and forges them into something that will go down in history as one of the all-time greats”, awarding it 10 out of 10.
IGN also gave Elden Ring a perfect score, with IGN’s Mitchell Saltzman saying: “Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly at this point, Elden Ring snagged a perfect score from Game Informer , too. Writer Daniel Tack said: “Elden Ring represents a truly amazing combination of various game elements that all come together to create something fascinating, special, and unforgettable. Elden Ring isn’t just the best game this year; it’s one of the best games ever made.”
But did any critics dislike Elden Ring? The lowest score we’ve seen so far is a 9 or 90, so no, it doesn’t look like it, at least at the time of writing. And of course, we've yet to see the general consensus from the players. The game is sure to be under extra scrutiny from longtime Soulsborne fans hoping the game lives up to previous FromSoftware titles.
Time to die
The overall verdict on Elden Ring is clear, then: this is potentially one of the best games ever made, receiving universal praise across practically every outlet.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll love it, though; reviews are subjective after all. But if you’re a fan of the Soulsborne genre, or simply feel like you’ve wanted to find out what all the fuss is about, Elden Ring appears to be the perfect place to start.
Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool United live stream: how to watch FA Cup Fourth Round online and on TV, team news
Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace will be hoping for safe passage through the FA Cup fourth round today as they face League Two opposition Hartlepool United at 3pm. The game is not televised in the UK but there are streams online all around the world as well as TV coverage. Follow our guide on how to watch a Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool live stream, no matter where you are.
Tayo Adaramola has been named in the Crystal Palace squad for the first time but starts on the bench alongside Jesurun Rak-Sakyi. There are two changes to the XI that beat Millwall in the previous round with games for both Martin Kelly and Luka Milivojević. Hartlepool field recent signings Omar Bogle and Bryn Morris.
Currently 13th in the league, Palace clinched their place in the fourth round after a 2-1 south London derby victory over Millwall, with Michael Olise inspiring a battling second-half comeback.
While Hartlepool may be the third-lowest ranked side left in this year's tournament, they can nevertheless point to the fact that they've already seen off opposition from higher divisions in the previous rounds. They beat League One's Wycombe Wanderers, Lincoln City and Championship outfit Blackpool to reach this stage.
Could The Pool pull off an even bigger shock this time out? Here's how to get a Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool live stream and watch this FA Cup fixture online wherever you are .
Watch Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool live stream online
Watch Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool live stream from anywhere
If you're abroad right now and struggling to tap into your local coverage of the game, you'll want a VPN . This'll help you circumvent the geo-blocking that will try to stop you watching a Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool live stream in particular parts of the world.
They're a useful means of getting around this issue, are cheap, and easy to set-up as well. Here's how it's done.
Use a VPN to watch Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool from anywhere
How to use a VPN
Using a VPN is as easy as one-two-three...
1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN .
2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location, eg: 'Australia'.
3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home - so that's 10Play if you're from Australia.
Can I watch a Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool FA Cup live stream in the UK?
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool live stream in the US
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Hartlepool live stream in Canada