Sony’s newest TV has it’s own AI brain to improve your viewing pleasure
AI is increasingly being embedded into devices to give them new capabilities, and Sony's latest TV extends that trend.
Key takeaways
- A lot’s happening in the TV world after Sony released the first 16k TV, LG revealed the world’s first rollable TV, and Xiaomi unveiled the world’s first transparent TV.
- Sony’s tech also analyzes sound positions in the signal to match the audio to the images on that part of the screen.
- Pricing and availability for the new lineup will be announced in the spring.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2021) 'Sony’s newest TV has it’s own AI brain to improve your viewing pleasure', 311 Institute, 24 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/sonys-newest-tv-has-its-own-ai-brain-to-improve-your-viewing-pleasure/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
A lot’s happening in the TV world after Sony released the first 16k TV, LG revealed the world’s first rollable TV, and Xiaomi unveiled the world’s first transparent TV. Now Sony has done it again and unveiled a new lineup of Bravia TVs that “mimic the human brain” to replicate how we see and hear. The devices use a new processing method that Sony calls “Cognitive Intelligence.”
The company says cognitive intelligence goes beyond standard Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create an immersive visual and sound experience: “While conventional AI can only detect and analyze picture elements like colour, contrast, and detail individually, the new Cognitive Processor XR can cross-analyze an array of elements at once, just as our brains do. By doing so, each element is adjusted to its best final outcome, in conjunction with each other, so everything is synchronized and lifelike, something that conventional AI cannot achieve.”
Courtesy: Sony
The processor divides the TV screen into zones and detects the focal point that the consumer is most likely watching in the picture then enhances it, much in the same way that Facebook’s latest Virtual Reality rendering technology, called Foveated Rendering, only renders 10 percent of the image yet as far as the consumer is concerned the entire VR world still looks hi-def. In short not only does this technique reduce the amount of processing power needed to generate great hi def images but like some of the latest AI based Codecs it also dramatically reduces the amount of bandwidth needed to stream even the highest resolution content. Win win.
Sony’s tech also analyzes sound positions in the signal to match the audio to the images on that part of the screen. In a video demo, Sony said the expanding size of TVs has made viewers focus on parts of the screens rather than the entire image, like we do when viewing the real world.
“The human eye uses different resolutions when we are looking at the whole picture and when we are focusing on something specific,” said Yasuo Inoue, a Sony signal processing expert.
“The XR Processor analyzes the focal point and refers to that point as it processes the entire image to generate an image close to what a human sees.”
It’s impossible to tell how well the AI works without seeing the TVs in person, and if you want to test it out yourself then you’ll likely need deep pockets. Pricing and availability for the new lineup will be announced in the spring.
What this means for your organisation
Focus is becoming a design principle.
Sony's processor splits the screen into zones and finds the point a viewer is most likely watching. It then enhances that point and uses it to guide the rest of the image. The source likens this to foveated rendering in virtual reality, which renders only 10 percent of the image.
Less compute and less bandwidth.
The source says this method cuts the processing power needed for sharp images. It also reduces the bandwidth needed to stream the highest resolution content. Intelligence processing units, chips built for AI, are rated Prepare with wide use expected by 2028, so device plans should allow for this pattern.
Claims need proof before any spend.
Sony says conventional AI judges colour, contrast and detail one at a time, while its processor cross-analyses them together. The source notes it is impossible to judge the results without seeing the TVs in person. Availability will be announced in the spring, so treat this as a signal to watch and test.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
- Where could focus-led processing cut compute or bandwidth costs in our own products?
- How will we test vendor claims about brain-like processing before we commit?
- Which of our devices need chips built for AI by 2028?
The trends and technologies behind this story
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s article and 311 data. First published on Fanatical Futurist.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
AI is increasingly being embedded into devices to give them new capabilities, and Sony's latest TV extends that trend.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 17-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 24 January 2021. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2021). Sony’s newest TV has it’s own AI brain to improve your viewing pleasure. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/sonys-newest-tv-has-its-own-ai-brain-to-improve-your-viewing-pleasure/
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