Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 06

Project Alicization (アリシゼーション計画) is the sixth episode of the Sword Art Online Alicization anime adaptation. It aired on November 10, 2018.

Plot
Having arrived at the Ocean Turtle and discarded her disguise, Yuuki Asuna shrilly demanded the information about Kirigaya Kazuto (Kirito) from Kikuoka Seijirou. Thus, the man explained that Kazuto had sustained serious brain damage in the attack by Kanamoto Atsushi (Johnny Black), which could only be treated by using Rath's Soul Translator (STL) to directly stimulate the boy's Fluctlight, in order to induce the generation of a new neural network in his brain. Once Asuna was satisfied with the explanation, Koujiro Rinko requested to learn the details of Seijirou's secret project and how Kazuto was relevant to it, as they were already considerably involved. Interested in receiving Rinko's assistance on his project, Seijirou revealed that its true purpose was to create Bottom-Up Artificial Intelligence (Bottom-Up AI), a type of AI that would be able to respond appropriately to any unexpected situation without prior training, unlike the usual Top-Down AI.

Such an adaptive artificial intelligence was created by using the Soul Translator to scan and replicate the Fluctlight of a human; however, Rath soon realised that a significant chasm existed between a replicated Fluctlight and a true artificial intelligence. To illustrate this point, Seijirou ordered Higa Takeru to load a copy of his own Fluctlight, demonstrating how it became unstable and collapsed upon learning that it was not the original Takeru. In order to overcome this obstacle, Seijirou and Takeru had scanned the Fluctlights of newborn infants, creating a Soul Archetype of a human Fluctlight without any memories by eliminating any differences between the scanned infant Fluctlights. The archetype was then replicated, creating sixteen different AI individuals, whom Rath then placed into a virtual world created with The Seed to raise them. Once four of Rath's employees raised the initial Artificial Fluctlights to the age of eighteen, the Artificial Fluctlights began to have children of their own. Using the Fluctlight Acceleration function of the Soul Translator, Rath accelerated the time in the virtual world, allowing the Fluctlights to create a middle age-like society with a population of approximately 80,000 citizens in the span of three weeks in the real world.

However, despite being Bottom-Up AIs, there was still one barrier that prevented them from becoming equal to real life human beings. It turned out that artificial Fluctlights, absolutely obeying their own internally created law of the Taboo Index, were not able to conduct any hostile action towards each other. Hearing that made Asuna realize that the real reason behind research on the Ocean Turtle was to create an AIs capable of murder, to which Seijirou admitted. As he recalled how the innovation of NerveGear and Sword Art Online Incident made him cognizant of the potential of VRMMO games, Asuna told him that Kazuto would never agree to support this project due to artificial Fluctlights having the same right as humans.

After remarking that a life of one solider is more important to him that life of 100 000 AIs, Seijirou, asked by Rinko, revealed that Kazuto's participation was essential due to his experience with VRMMO worlds. Soon after the conversation, Asuna logged into ALfheim Online (ALO) to share with her friends all the information she had learnt on the Ocean Turtle. It turned out that Kazuto had spent 10 years, with no memories from the real world, in Underworld, where he had befriended with two artificial Fluctlights, a boy and a girl. At some point the girl, called Alice, had broken the absolute law of the Taboo Index, which resulted in her being corrected by the Axiom Church. Since she had the potential to become first real Bottom-Up AI, Rath's aim was to have her located and transported to the real world.

Having recalled Seijirou's remark, how the girl's name coincided with the acronym A.L.I.C.E (Artificial Labile Intelligent Cybernated Existence, or a highly adaptive artificial intelligence), Asuna bid farewell to her friends as she would be now allowed to see Kazuto. Looking at her boyfriend being connected to STL together with Rinko, she was approached by Aki Natsuki. The nurse revealed she had been working for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) and was assigned by Kikuoka Seijirou to oversee Kazuto's medical condition. Seeing the sorrow on Asuna's face, Natsuki cheered her by confirm that Kazuto's treatment was going well.

Following that, Rinko invited Asuna to her room to reveal her connection with Kayaba Akihiko. Having met at the Shigemura Lab, the two had started a relationship. The woman confessed that she had taken care of Akihiko's body during entire SAO Incident and apologized to Asuna for not doing anything to prevent it, despite having such an opportunity. Watching Rinko crying in front on her, Asuna comforted the woman by saying that even though the death game had been a horrible experience for many, it also had brought the happiest days in her life. Later, after having a strange dream of being visited by Akihiko, Rinko awoke suddenly and, confused, looked outside her room.

Locations

 * Ocean Turtle
 * ALfheim Online
 * Toto Institute of Technology in Japan - Shigemura Lab (flashback)

Adaptation Notes

 * Adapted from Volume 10, Chapter 2, Parts 2-3


 * In the light novel, Yui was the one who explained the concept of «Top-Down AI» and «Bottom-Up AI» during Asuna's, Leafa's and Sinon's meeting in ALfheim Online.
 * Because of this, Asuna already understood the basic concept when Seijirou brought it up.
 * Details on how the Rath staff who raised the original eight Artificial Fluctlights exited the Underworld were omitted.
 * Details regarding mankind's present disposition towards war and the current political climate, to explain why AI's designed for military purposes have become increasingly necessary, were omitted.
 * Details on how the memory blocking procedure works were omitted.
 * Details regarding Kirito's second childhood in the Underworld were omitted.
 * Details regarding possible side-effects from Kirito spending years in the Underworld were omitted.
 * The scene where Asuna explains the situation to Leafa, Sinon, Lisbeth and Silica in Alfheim Online was anime original content.
 * In the light novel, when Rinko confronted Kayaba following the outbreak of the SAO Incident, she was carrying a gun rather than of the knife.
 * The scene of Kayaba's and Rinko's first meeting and growing relationship was anime original content.
 * The scene where Rinko sees Kayaba in a dream was anime original content.