AI technology in simracing has been the subject of heated discussions from pretty much as far as the genre exists.
Recent technology breakthroughs didn't put an end to that: the recent exploits of Gran Turismo's Sophy AI in particular have raised both applauses and skepticism from the community, with the coded virtual driver using unorthodox methods to achieve seemingly impossible fast laps, to the point where a non neglectible amount of people called Sophy a cheater, either because of what they perceived as a break of track limits, or because it was assumed Sophy wouldn't be running on the same set of physics as us, simple mortals with hand tools.
But another thing that grew out recently in simracing is competitiveness, and it was only a matter of time before someone tried to incorporate Some of Sophy's techniques into their driving, and no one could be better suited than multiple world champion Mikail Hizal to pull it off. The turkish-german racer published a video in a tweet linked below showcasing him overtaking FIA GTC European finalist Kenni Hansen round the outside while using a patch of grass to his advantage, much like the stunts Sophy is often witnessed doing in the released footage of the AI running.
As a reminder, the addition of Sophy into Gran Turismo is planned for the end of the year, as stated by a Gran Turismo official in the italian chat of the last official GT7 esports broadcast.
Meanwhile, several interviews with SONY AI people and Kazunori Yamauchi, plus hints discovered by data miners indicate that Sophy will not be replacing the existing solo mode race opponents, but rather appear as a separate game mode mainly aimed at helping people improve their skills. That means AI could potentially compete with the booming virtual driver coaching market in the future - if people don't get too nostalgic about the human factor, of course.
Recent technology breakthroughs didn't put an end to that: the recent exploits of Gran Turismo's Sophy AI in particular have raised both applauses and skepticism from the community, with the coded virtual driver using unorthodox methods to achieve seemingly impossible fast laps, to the point where a non neglectible amount of people called Sophy a cheater, either because of what they perceived as a break of track limits, or because it was assumed Sophy wouldn't be running on the same set of physics as us, simple mortals with hand tools.
But another thing that grew out recently in simracing is competitiveness, and it was only a matter of time before someone tried to incorporate Some of Sophy's techniques into their driving, and no one could be better suited than multiple world champion Mikail Hizal to pull it off. The turkish-german racer published a video in a tweet linked below showcasing him overtaking FIA GTC European finalist Kenni Hansen round the outside while using a patch of grass to his advantage, much like the stunts Sophy is often witnessed doing in the released footage of the AI running.
As a reminder, the addition of Sophy into Gran Turismo is planned for the end of the year, as stated by a Gran Turismo official in the italian chat of the last official GT7 esports broadcast.
Meanwhile, several interviews with SONY AI people and Kazunori Yamauchi, plus hints discovered by data miners indicate that Sophy will not be replacing the existing solo mode race opponents, but rather appear as a separate game mode mainly aimed at helping people improve their skills. That means AI could potentially compete with the booming virtual driver coaching market in the future - if people don't get too nostalgic about the human factor, of course.
