Sony Outlines AI Plans for Anime and Video Game Production

Sony’s 2025 corporate report outlines a clear strategy for integrating AI into anime production and expanding its anime business. On the production side, Sony has developed AnimeCanvas, an AI-enhanced tool designed to enhance efficiency in drawing and finishing, allowing animators to focus on creative tasks. The company also deploys machine learning for subtitling and automatic lip-syncing, which has already been trialed in TV anime and upcoming theatrical releases, to reduce workloads and accelerate production. Technologies like mocopi motion capture are being used to reduce costs and time in complex action sequences.

On the business side, Sony is expanding through Aniplex and Crunchyroll, fostering global anime IP such as Solo Leveling. Crunchyroll surpassed 17 million subscribers by March 2025 and continues to integrate e-commerce, games, and manga services. Strategic alliances with Bandai Namco, Kadokawa, and MyAnimeList are building ecosystems around anime and manga IP, leveraging blockchain and fan engagement. In summary, Sony views AI as both a creative support system and a business enabler, utilizing it to streamline anime production while expanding Crunchyroll and fostering global partnerships to energize the anime ecosystem.

Sony Group Corporation – Sony’s Corporate Report 2025 – 11th September 2025