...but it's not trying to be, and that's okay, as long as you know this before going in.

AIの遺電子 or The Gene of AI is a collection of near-future vignettes dealing with major advancements in artificial intelligence and the social repercussions of, centered around cyberbrain physician Hikaru Sudou and his private clinic's nurse Risa Higuchi.
Each episode consists primarily of one or two self-contained little cases or stories and some connective tissue.

Now, I was somewhat surprised by the casual pace, lack of action and overall positive tone. The lack of action is on me for not checking the genres beforehand, but I do have a bone to pick with the current tags for this show on AniList.

First of all, I don't think there is anything cyberpunk about this work. Cyberpunk as a genre is predicated on a dystopic setting, and this does not seem to apply, as the world of 遺電子 is either on par with or better off from our current existence. Neither does the show fulfill the classic cyberpunk "cost" of high tech for low life, as none of these changes seem to have brought any major suffering or decrease in quality of life for common people. The world is no worse off, just different.

Secondly, without going into detail for fear of supposed spoilers, any mentions of gender atypicality are so fleeting and inconsequential that they really do not justify a tag, let alone two. Sexuality on the other hand feels like a somewhat more prominent theme than the 30% that tag has been relegated to.

Third, I'm not sure about the Shounen tag. This is harder to argue, though, because if this show was for some reason marketed to young guys in particular, that would make it definitionally "shounen". But I'm willing to declare that when someone says "shounen", this is not what normally comes to mind.

Okay, that's enough about what the show isn't, so what is it?

A somewhat slapdash smattering of ideas, questions and meditations on the advancements of artificial intelligence.

Interestingly, the work showcases these issue on two levels: there are both cybernetic humanoids, creatively called humanoids, with roughly the same rights as humans, and intelligent robots with seemingly no rights in particular. It is unclear whether the major dividing line is a sense of self, or something else.

In any case, humanoids were created by a black-box superintelligence called MICHI, programmed to be artifically limited within similar parameters to humans and to expire within a similar timeframe. Copying consciousnesses is forbidden, and modifications limited. Any transgressions are always individual and hushed, rather than rampant and socio-politically upsetting.
This is most likely how society could and would best continue to function in a situation like this, but it also sees the show kneecap itself from wrestling with the juiciest and meatiest subject matter, constantly feeling like it does not go far enough.
(Which is why cyberpunk is such a powerful genre, and why the show would've been better for it if it was cyberpunk.)

For me this is the challenge in judging the show. It feels both too easy and borderline boring, like a babby's first touch of sci-fi, but is similarly more grounded and immediate-feeling in regards to our world in 2025 than its older, more far-fetched and deeply philosophical siblings.
There is something in here to explore, as long as you go in with the right expectations.
There are no explosions, gunfire, dark streets or neon strippers. No grand plots, uprisings or political intrigue.

Look

As typical for MADHOUSE, the show looks just fine enough. Animation and backgrounds are competent, though not particularly personal. Movement is limited, there is no sakuga here, but really no particular need either. Designs are grounded. There is some insanely ugly CGI thrown in, most notably in the OP, but mercifully only a couple of times over the whole season.

Audio

VA is good enough, sound is competent. Music is entirely forgettable, including the worst opening song of the year, annoying and ill-fitting.