Today, AI in sim racing mostly means two things: computer-controlled opponents that are good enough to race wheel to wheel, and research agents trained with machine learning that can now beat expert human drivers. The clearest proof is Sony’s Gran Turismo Sophy, which won a head-to-head competition against four of the world’s best Gran Turismo drivers. Coaching tools and smarter motion systems are the next areas researchers are working on.
GT Sophy: AI that races fairly
In a paper published in Nature on February 9, 2022, a team led by Peter Wurman described training an agent with deep reinforcement learning that combines speed with tactics. The hard part was not speed alone; the team built a reward function so the agent stayed competitive while following racing’s “important, but under-specified, sportsmanship rules.” GT Sophy then beat four top Gran Turismo drivers head to head. Polyphony Digital says GT Sophy came from a collaboration between Sony AI, Polyphony Digital and Sony Interactive Entertainment, using Sony AI’s reinforcement learning platform, the Gran Turismo simulator and cloud gaming infrastructure for training at scale.
Faster than the fastest human — in time trials
Earlier work by Fuchs and colleagues (arXiv) trained a policy in Gran Turismo Sport that outperformed the fastest driver in a dataset of over 50,000 human players, as well as the game’s built-in AI. Time trials are a simpler problem than racing in traffic, which is why GT Sophy’s sportsmanship result mattered.
AI opponents in mainstream sims
Mainstream PC sims have expanded their AI racing too. iRacing’s 2022 Season 1 release notes, for example, list AI Racing for three new cars and nineteen new track configurations — including Homestead-Miami Speedway’s Indy oval. AI fields let a single driver race a full grid without needing other humans online.
AI behind the motion platform
Machine learning is also being tried on the motion side. Scheidel and colleagues (arXiv) propose a deep reinforcement learning motion-cueing algorithm: software that decides how a motion platform should move to reproduce what a real driver feels without exceeding the platform’s limits.
What it means for events
- Solo guests can still race: AI opponents give a lone driver someone to chase.
- Skill levels vary: where the software lets you set AI strength, a beginner and an enthusiast can both get a close race.
- Coaching is still human: AI coaching tools are emerging, but at an event the fastest way to improve is a few pointers and another run.
We are not claiming any of these research systems run on our rigs; tell us the format you want and we will confirm what we can set up. For venues and businesses thinking longer term, we also sell and lease simulators.
SimsForHire: rent or buy
We bring racing simulators to corporate events, private parties, brand activations and trade shows, including at hotels and for dealership events. Our fleet is 10 full-motion rigs. The full-motion rigs use SIGMA Integrale 2DOF/3DOF motion platforms, which are driven by electric actuators. Full-motion rigs are $2,750 per rig per day, with a $2,000 event minimum, all plus tax and insurance. Delivery is free within 50 miles of Miami; farther out, we quote delivery on request. Our showroom and demo space is at 2920 NW 5th Ave, Suite 105, Miami, an address we share with Shift Arcade Miami.
Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com or send an inquiry; we reply within 24 hours and can book with as little as 24 hours of lead time.