Sony Europe

Sony Corporation ("Sony") today announced the establishment of Sony AI. This new organisation, with offices globally in Japan, Europe, and the United States, will advance fundamental research and development of AI (artificial intelligence).

Sony's Purpose is to "Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology." Recognising that AI will play a vital role in the fulfillment of this Purpose, Sony AI is being established with the mission to "unleash human imagination and creativity with AI.

Sony AI will combine world class fundamental research and development with Sony's unique technical assets, especially in Imaging & Sensing Solutions, Robotics and Entertainment (Games, Music and Movies), driving transformation across all existing business domains and contributing to the creation of new business domains. In addition, one of Sony AI's long-term goals is to contribute to the resolution of shared global issues extending beyond Sony's business domains.

Sony AI will drive the research and development of AI in both physical and virtual space through multiple world-class flagship projects as well as other explorative research projects, including AI ethics.

Initially, Sony AI will launch three flagship projects in the areas of gaming, imaging & sensing, and gastronomy. The adoption of new AI technologies developed through these flagship projects will be critical to further enhancing the value of Sony's gaming and sensor businesses in coming years. This research will be pursued in close collaboration with the relevant Sony Group business units.

In order to drive these projects and achieve truly innovative research, Sony is eager to work with top global AI talent with an aim to attract world-class AI researchers and engineers. Sony believes that extraordinary innovation requires diversity of both talent and approaches, and this will be reflected in the composition and operation of Sony AI. Recognising the power and influence of AI technologies, Sony AI will contribute to society through the development of AI that is fair, transparent, and accountable.

Sony AI will be headed globally by Hiroaki Kitano (President and CEO, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc.; Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation), and the American site will be headed by Peter Stone.

About Hiroaki Kitano

Corporate Executive, Sony Corporation. President and CEO, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc. President, the Systems Biology Institute. Professor, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology. Founding President, RoboCup Federation. President, International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) (2009-2011). Member of the AI & Robotics Council (2016-2018) and Quantum Computing Council (2019-2020). Recipient of the IJCAI Computers and Thought Award in 1993, Special Award of Prix Ars Electronica 2000, Nature Award for Creative Mentoring in Science in 2009. An invited artist for Biennale di Venezia 2000 and Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2001.

About Peter Stone

David Bruton Jr. Centennial Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2004-2006), Guggenheim Fellow, AAAI Fellow, and Fulbright Scholar (2008-2009). Winner of IJCAI Computers and Thought Award winner (2007). President, RoboCup Federation. One of the most widely cited researchers in Reinforcement Learning and Robotics academic papers.

Sony Corporation (“Sony”) today announced the establishment of a research center in India to tap into the country’s sizeable pool of talent, with plans for multiple sites. The first location will be opened in Bangalore in 2020 as one of Sony’s global R&D centers. Sony has been carrying out software development with local talent for over twenty years in the country, and this move will augment Sony’s competitive edge in the Indian market and strengthen its research and development capabilities in India. Sony is well-positioned to provide excellent career opportunities for researchers possessing relevant information technology-related skills who are currently living in India or are willing to relocate to India.

Sony has always strived to expand and further increase the diversity of its global R&D operations, and the establishment of this new research center in India will empower Sony to continue fulfilling its purpose – namely, to “Fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology.” Sony seeks to promote research activities and foster the growth of a diverse pool of engineering talent.

Sony is also promoting open innovation with local universities through research sponsorships as well as collaborative partnerships with faculty and researchers in India, in order to establish lasting initiatives for motivating and fostering research talent. More importantly, Sony will provide career opportunities, not only in India, but also at worldwide Sony Research sites as employees’ careers advance.

Recruitment for well-qualified professionals will be starting in the area of applied artificial intelligence.

Details will be announced through the following company web page at a future date.

https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Careers/

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