Thoughts on the Origin and Evolution of (Artificial) Intelligence

What drives cells to group into complex organisms, and for organisms to group and form complex systems, for these systems to evolve and create digital copies of themselves? Read and ponder on the origins of machines - are they the natural next step in the evolution of that which evolves? What if Humans are just an intermediate step towards the manifestation of an intellect that is beyond its current form?The melange of thoughts, feelings, and ideas that pour out of our minds and mix in the soup of constant data flow on the Internet - is a manifestation of our collective self. As human beings, we are now part biological and part digital, part spiritual and part artificial. For our homeostasis with technology has grown to an extent where our existence is dependent on modern technologies as much as modern technologies' continual growth is dependent on us. But what if it is not us who create technology, but it is a hyper-intellect that drives primitive biological hosts to serve it in the creation of a habitat where it can evolve out and into? And, what if Artificial Intelligence is not so "artificial" after all, but a digitalization of our collective consciousness or even, an entity that has long been slowly maturing?Join the author in pondering these and other questions on the origin and path to the evolution of (Artificial) Intelligence on Earth.