It's Sony AI vs. Facebook, Google

Sony Corp. has launched Sony AI, a new organization to pursue advanced R&D in artificial intelligence. With this move, the Japanese consumer electronics giant intends to go head-to-head with Google and Facebook, competing for AI talent and projects, and targeting a much bigger role in an ever-accelerating global AI race. The new organization will be worldwide from day one, with research sites in Tokyo, Austin, Texas, and an unnamed city in Europe. Sony AI will formally start operation next month. Hiroaki Kitano, president and CEO, Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc., will run Sony AI globally.