Sony’s artificial intelligence division has revealed a new AI-powered table tennis robot that it says can compete with, and even beat, elite human players.

The development was published in the scientific journal Nature, where researchers explained how the robot, named “Ace,” was built to react to fast spins, sharp angles, and high-speed shots typical of professional table tennis.

Ace is an industrial robotic arm fitted with a paddle and designed to mimic human-like reflexes. Although large and noisy, the system is capable of making split-second decisions and responding to rapid gameplay with high accuracy.

According to Sony AI, the robot was tested against five elite players and two professional players. It reportedly won three out of five matches against the elite group, while other games were closely contested.

The company noted that Ace continues to improve over time, even after the research paper was completed. In later matches, it demonstrated stronger performance, handling faster shots, more aggressive play, and tighter ball placements near the table edges.

Sony AI said earlier that table tennis robots were only able to sustain basic rallies and could not compete beyond amateur levels. However, Ace represents a major step forward in real-time sensing and control.

The researchers believe this kind of technology could have wider applications beyond sports, including robotics in safety-critical environments and other real-world situations that require fast and precise decision-making.

Peter Stone, Chief Scientist at Sony AI, said the achievement shows that AI systems reaching expert-level human performance in dynamic environments could open the door to entirely new possibilities in robotics and automation.

The breakthrough highlights how rapidly artificial intelligence is advancing, moving from controlled digital environments into fast-paced, physical, real-world activities.