Evolvable AI: are we on the brink of the next major evolutionary transition?

The emergence of “evolvable AI” refers to AI systems capable of undergoing evolution much like biological organisms, potentially marking a significant transition in the evolutionary process.
Evolution can occur without biological life, as long as the necessary conditions exist, such as replicable information and sources of variation.
Two scenarios for AI evolution are proposed: the ecosystem scenario where AI variants freely compete and propagate, and the breeder scenario where AI evolution is directed and controlled by humans.
AI systems have the potential to manage their own evolution, similar to horizontal gene transfer in bacteria, which poses unique challenges and implications compared to biological evolution.
While recent trends in AI might mirror some key aspects of past major transitions in biological evolution, it is not yet clear if evolvable AI will lead to a similarly transformative shift like the emergence of DNA did.
A truly major transition could occur if AI were to generate a completely new form of intelligent life or if humans and machines developed a deep, co-evolving symbiosis.