New light novel title appeared in the catalog of the novel edition, Detective AI, real deep learning offers the reader a police investigation against the backdrop of a technological thriller. Written by Yabusaka Hayasaka, this story is presented as the first volume of a saga still being published in Japan. If it is intended for a young adult audience, it nevertheless addresses more mature themes. It is this dual identity that makes the quality and weakness of this story.
The A.I. War
Tasuku's life has just turned upside down. His father, a brilliant researcher in the world of Artificial Intelligence, has just died. The police quickly concluded that it was an accident. But returning to the scene of the tragedy, the son finds hidden in a frame, the ultimate work of his father: an artificial intelligence. Named AI, she explains that she has a twin, AI, and that to advance them, her father used the advances of deep learning by making them confront each other: one staging crimes and the other trying to solve them. But AI disappeared on the day of the tragedy and AI suspects the accident to be a sham. With Tasuku, she decides to form a duo of investigators launched in pursuit of the perpetrator of the crime. But they quickly discover that it is a terrorist organization, Octa-Core, that is behind the murder. She stole AI to commit crimes. Takusu and AI will have to dive into the world of intelligence services, spies to track down and understand the dark stakes of Octa Core. 
AI DETECTIVE: Real Deep Learning. A credible narrative of anticipation
The first quality of this story lies in its approach to the near future. The author chooses to focus on the theme of Artificial Intelligence. But instead of inventing a technological leap (Terminator) allowing the birth of these new intelligences, it relies on current technologies: deep learning. Tasuku's father is a pioneer in this method of learning. Its AIs are formed by reading detective novels, manga or even police investigations and are equipped with neural layers like the human brain allowing them to constantly interpret and adjust their algorithms. To this basic premise is added a successful immersion in the world of artificial intelligence. This starts with the popularization of technical terms: deep learning, machine learning, Turing test, Uncanny Valley. The author manages in the case of the latter term to illustrate it through the evolution of the attitude of humans in front of AIs so similar to humans that they create a feeling of uneasiness. This immersion then goes through the multiple borrowings from literature, Science fiction cinema whether Blade Runner, Matrix or Neuromancer. 
A rhythmic story
In 240 pages and 5 chapters the author does not leave us time to breathe. DETECTIVE AI: Real Deep Learning is built into several small investigations seemingly independent but related to the threat of Octa Core. Each investigation is original, the resolution surprising and the reversals of situation numerous.It's hard to get bored or feel like everything is repeating itself. The author fully exploits the concept of AI duels using humans as pawns. The other element, favoring the frenzied pace of the story, is based on the doubts surrounding the secondary characters gravitating around our heroes. Playing on the metaphor of avatars, DETECTIVE AI: Real Deep Learning shakes up our expectations by multiplying false leads, false double agents and cliffhangers. Character level, the antagonists are a great success. On the one hand, they differ from one story to another, whether in their character, their mode of action. On the other hand, their motivations remain very credible. The author still intelligently mixes characters eyeing, some towards Westworld, others towards Ghost in the Shell or even Pluto. The whole gives all the coherence to this fragmented narrative which finally takes the form of a sprawling network, a spider's web with Octa-Core and AI at its center.
AI DETECTIVE, Real Deep Learning: a possible lack of investment of the reader
Intelligent story, believable universe, charismatic antagonist, AI DETECTIVE: Real Deep Learning has the foundations of a great story. But it suffers from a flaw inherent in the light novel genre: its length and lack of development. Intended for a young audience, light novels offer very concentrated stories that go to the essentials, namely the adventures but do not develop the environments. And DETECTIVE AI: Real Deep Learning is no exception to this defect. Few descriptions of the environments, lack of development of the main characters, the reader will sometimes have trouble projecting himself totally into the story. This explains Yabusaka Hayasaka's writing style. This one looks very functional, cold. He doesn't bother with frills. Very close to that of scripts or scenarios, it takes the reader from point A to point B with efficiency but without lyricism or poetry. So at the end of the 240 pages, you will have the impression of having boarded a high-speed train, of having attended a beautiful show without ever having had the time to fully invest. 
DETECTIVE AI: Real Deep Learning remains an interesting introduction to a promising saga. If the restrictions of the genre limit the investment of the reader, the proposed universe remains coherent enough to offer a distracting read. To discover more light novels, we invite you to read our review of Infinite Dendrogram.
