Key Takeaways
- The Alicization arc of SAO introduced the central theme of creating AI based on human consciousness for military purposes.
- The arc takes place in The Underworld, a virtual reality where time moves faster, raising ethical questions about artificially created souls.
- Kirito’s role in the story shifts from savior to someone needing saving, highlighting the importance of his friends in overcoming challenges.
As a seasoned gamer and long-time fan of Sword Art Online, I can confidently say that the Alicization arc is undoubtedly one of the most captivating and thought-provoking storylines in the series. This epic saga takes us on an exhilarating journey through the virtual world of The Underworld, where time flows at a staggering pace, raising profound questions about the nature of life, consciousness, and ethics.
In simpler terms, the “Alicization” storyline within the Sword Art Online collection was the longest and arguably most captivating arc, possibly even surpassing the original in terms of intrigue. This segment offered a gripping narrative that came close to rivaling the initial arc’s high stakes, while significantly expanding both the storyline and its science fiction aspects.
Introducing Alice, a character developed as an artificial intelligence within a technologically advanced society that has mastered the art of creating synthetic souls and storing them digitally. In the context of the Sword Art Online series, this storyline is known as the Alicization arc. This particular segment stands out among others due to its compelling narrative, making it one of the series’ most celebrated aspects.
The Context of the Alicization Story
Kirito Is Involved in a Very Special Project
In 2026, following the occurrences depicted in the “Ordinal Scale” movie, the storyline of the Alicization arc unfolds as Kirito gets a position at a mysterious firm named Rath, which is run by Seijurou Kikuoka, a cybercrimes division member who interacted with Kirito post-Sword Art Online incident. Kirito’s role within this company involves assisting in the testing of an advanced Virtual Reality device known as the STL or Soul Translator. Unlike its predecessors, this fourth-generation Full-Dive machine functions uniquely and, it is eventually disclosed, was developed by none other than Sword Art Online’s creator, Akihiko Kayaba.
On weekends, Kirito would immerse himself continuously in Full-Dive mode, and for safety purposes, his memories would be temporarily wiped. Interestingly, Kirito was not aware of this; but Rath was associated with JSDF. The experiment, however, was not what Kirito thought. They were actually testing an AI, developed by replicating a newborn’s soul as the base, which was then nurtured in a virtual world named “The Underworld”. In this realm, time moves a thousand times quicker than in the real world.
Regrettably for the military, the AIs within The Underworld followed rules and societal expectations too strictly to be effective, leading Kirito to be dispatched to determine why these AI inhabitants were so obedient. Growing up as a citizen of The Underworld, Kirito spent eleven years before his friend, a young woman named Alice, breached the “Taboo Index” rules due to Kirito’s influence. Upon completion of the test, Kirito was ambushed by a surviving member of the Death Gun gang and injected with a lethal substance that momentarily stopped his heart. Medical professionals were able to revive him, but he sustained brain damage, causing him to fall into a coma. The military then covertly abducted him and attached him to an STL device, resulting in Kirito waking up within The Underworld with all of his real-life memories still intact.
Major Themes of Sword Art Online: Alicization
Is a Life Lived in a Simulation Still a Life?
Essentially, the military aimed to develop an AI system that learns and adapts in a manner similar to humans, which they call a “bottom-up” approach. This type of AI is designed to connect seemingly unrelated ideas, learn through experience, and adapt to its environment. The name A.L.I.C.E (Artificial Labile Intelligent Cybernated Existence) was chosen because it represents the Japanese Self-Defense Forces’ goal of transforming artificial “Fluctlights” – a quantum field analogous to human consciousness – into an AI named Alice, which would be the first of its kind to be successful.
In the realm known as the Underworld, a handful of these synthetic spirits resided, initially cared for and educated by humans. Unfortunately, one member of Rath Corporation’s team tainted a few of the offspring from the two founding families with his own corruption. The Underworld was meticulously designed, complete with its own creation story. Despite the Fluctlights being indistinguishable from genuine human souls in every way, those responsible for the experiment were taken aback by the tranquility it held, as these artificially made spirits showed an almost supernatural respect for the law that seemed inhuman.
The Alicization storyline, instead of focusing on yet another video game, delves into a remarkably immersive simulated world that boasts a technological advancement as groundbreaking as identifying the “physical” entity housing souls. This makes it one of the most daring narratives within the franchise. Although the potential hazards of unchecked technological progress and heightened technology integration are recurring themes throughout the series, Alicization stands out by not being set in a game. Instead, it primarily examines the repercussions on the real world.
The question of ethics naturally comes up, especially with how many times the JSDF does something untoward for the sake of furthering this technology, especially when doing so requires the stimulation of rule-violation as a concept so that a human soul that could have lived a peaceful life devoid of suffering and war is nurtured to learn about violence to further a militaristic agenda. There’s also the fact that, for once, Kirito is actually the one who needs saving, instead of him being the only capable agent. Both of Kirito’s childhood friends in The Underworld, Eugeo and Alice; not to mention Asuna, are very important to Kirito’s eventual overcoming of not just his brain damage, but of the host of challenges faced in The Underworld.
Sword Art Online is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Read More
- LUNC PREDICTION. LUNC cryptocurrency
- SOL PREDICTION. SOL cryptocurrency
- BTC PREDICTION. BTC cryptocurrency
- BICO PREDICTION. BICO cryptocurrency
- USD COP PREDICTION
- USD PHP PREDICTION
- USD CLP PREDICTION
- USD ZAR PREDICTION
- VANRY PREDICTION. VANRY cryptocurrency
- SBR PREDICTION. SBR cryptocurrency
2024-10-17 22:34