Microsoft and Sony partnering on an AI-powered car assistant is the strangest news to come out of CES this week
Few things cement Microsoft’s dominance in AI than seeing Sony partner with Microsoft for an AI assistant after the recent public battle between the companies.
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What you need to know
As console warriors continue to wage war over which video game platform holder is going to go third party first, Microsoft and Sony have secretly been continuing business as usual. In what looks like a ceremonial bending of the knee by Sony to Microsoft, the decision to partner with the rival company for AI shows that Microsoft is seen by its peers as the de facto AI option in 2024.
As we covered earlier this week,ChatGPT is helping Volkswagon with its upcoming AI integrations, but as we all know OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot are two sides of the same coin. But time for the big questions, what is Sony Honda Mobility and why is Microsoft partnering on the project such a big deal?
What is Sony Honda Mobility?
If you don’t know what Sony Honda Mobility is, don’t worry — I didn’t either. You can check out more information on it at theSony Honda Mobility’s siteor check out the YouTube video below. Basically, Sony and Honda have partnered to make an electric vehicle company that they hope will change the way we think about mobility and allow your vehicle to not only transport you from location to location but also to other worlds through entertainment and gaming.
Why is Microsoft partnering with Sony and Honda on AI in cars a big deal?
If there has been one common thread throughCES 2024it has been the advent of AI; Microsoft is not only at the center of AI but the driving force and leader of the advancing technology. From Microsoft announcing the newCopilot button on Windows 11 keyboardsto newAPUs and chips coming with NPUs to assist with on-hardware AI computing, Microsoft seems to be driving innovation and change from hardware manufacturers the globe over.
Anybody who has been following along with theMicrosoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard and King over the last 2 yearswould know that Sony and Microsoft likely have a rocky relationship, so the fact that Sony still went to Microsoft to power AI for the Sony Honda Mobility company shows that Microsoft has an immense lead over its competitors in the AI space — even fierce rivals have to bend the knee to Microsoft. This is reminiscent of theSony deal with Microsoft a few years ago for Azure resources, and highlights that sometimes business is just business.
Microsoft’s Jessica Hawk joined Sony on the stage for the Sony CES briefing and while there were a lot of promises of what Microsoft AI can do, the main focus was on AI safety and Azure resources to scale for the Sony Honda Mobility vehicles going forward.
We aren’t sure what the Microsoft-powered AI assistant will be like once the Sony Honda Mobility Afeela hits the market, so for now we will have to keep waiting for more updates.
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What do you think about Microsoft partnering with Sony and Honda for their electric vehicle company? Do you think this shows that Microsoft is the indisputable frontrunner in AI? Let us know in the comments.
Colton is a seasoned cybersecurity professional that wants to share his love of technology with the Windows Central audience. When he isn’t assisting in defending companies from the newest zero-days or sharing his thoughts through his articles, he loves to spend time with his family and play video games on PC and Xbox. Colton focuses on buying guides, PCs, and devices and is always happy to have a conversation about emerging tech and gaming news.
