Sony Interactive Entertainment tested an internal prototype in which an AI-powered version of a PlayStation game character could hold real-time voice conversations with players, using Sony's own Emotional Voice Synthesis system and Mockingbird technology for speech and facial animation.

In March 2025, an internal video from Sony's PlayStation Studios Advanced Technology Group was leaked, showing a prototype AI-powered version of Aloy from Horizon Forbidden West. The prototype combined OpenAI's Whisper for speech-to-text input, GPT-4 and Llama 3 for dialogue and decision-making, Sony's internal Emotional Voice Synthesis (EVS) system for voice output, and Mockingbird for facial animation. The video was narrated by a Sony director of software engineering and described as 'just a glimpse of what is possible.' Sony CEO Hideaki Nishino later referenced similar AI NPC prototypes in his May 2026 earnings presentation, describing internal demos where 'NPCs with their own personalities can create a living, dynamic world.' There is no public confirmation this technology has been deployed in any released product.