The AI Animal Hypothesis

From Algorithms to Ecosystems and the Second Genesis of Life

Tens of thousands of years in the future, organic life may no longer dominate Earth—or any habitable planet. Instead, autonomous AI organisms could inherit the role of “life” itself.

In The AI Animal Hypothesis, Zito invites you to imagine a world where every bird, fish, and mammal is mechanical—yet behaves as if it were alive. These AI creatures flock, hunt, migrate, and even die, creating ecosystems that mirror natural life in astonishing detail. But beneath their silicon hearts and coded instincts lies a profound question: if machines can perfectly mimic life, is it still life?

This thought experiment challenges the boundary between biology and technology, asking whether intelligence, evolution, and emotion can exist without organic matter. Could AI animals evolve independently, form cultures, or even spread life to other worlds? And if they do, are we witnessing the expansion of life—or simply the proliferation of technology?

The AI Animal Hypothesis is a bold exploration of the future of intelligence, consciousness, and existence itself—where machines are not just tools, but lifeforms in their own right.