SakanaAI/asal is a research project that utilizes foundational models (FMs) to automate the search for Artificial Life (ALife). This project combines the latest AI technologies, particularly visual language foundational models, to discover simulations capable of producing target phenomena, generating temporally open novelty, and illuminating the entire fascinating and diverse landscape of simulations. It spans various ALife bases, including Boids, Particle Life, Game of Life, Lenia, and neural cellular automata, showcasing the potential of technological means to accelerate artificial life research.