Sony AI and Gran Turismo developer Polyphony Digital have created a "breakthrough" artificial intelligence called GT Sophy.

GT Sophy is described as an "autonomous AI agent" capable of outracing the best drivers in Grand Turismo Sport.

Sony and Polyphony claim GT Sophy represents a notable leap forward in AI and believe the tech could even be used outside of gaming in areas like autonomous racing, high-speed robotics, and more.

GT Sophy has been trained to master three key driving skills -- race car control, racing tactics, and racing etiquette -- using a novel deep reinforcement platform that was built from scratch.

"Gran Turismo Sophy is a significant development in AI whose purpose is not simply to be better than human players, but to offer players a stimulating opponent that can accelerate and elevate the players' techniques and creativity to the next level," said Sony AI chief exec Hiroaki Kitano.

"In addition to making contributions to the gaming community, we believe this breakthrough presents new opportunities in areas such as autonomous racing, autonomous driving, high-speed robotics and control."

Sony AI and Polyphony will now explore how to integrate GT Sophy into future releases of the Gran Turismo series, the latest iteration of which, Gran Turismo 7, is due to launch in March 2022.