The Evolution of Immunity framework proceeds through six levels
Level 0 (not shown above) is the absence of a localized entity — a pre-self state where no boundary exists between self and environment.
Level 1 introduces boundary immunity: a physical or functional barrier that defines self by excluding non-self.
Level 2a adds pattern-based immunity – an internal defense mechanisms that recognize threats through fixed patterns — e.g., innate immunity in biological systems or signature-based detection in cybersecurity.
Level 2b adds adaptive immunity, a self-model that enables learned, specific responses to novel threats — e.g., the adaptive immune system — a biological self-awareness in vertebrates — or AI systems capable of self-monitoring or model-based threat assessment.
Level 3a adds collective pattern-based immunity, where groups coordinate defenses through pre-programmed responses without a shared self-model – e.g., social insects or distributed network defenses.
Level 3b adds collective adaptive immunity, where a group develops a shared self-model that enables coordinated, adaptive collective defense – e.g., social organisms and human institutions and maybe AI someday.
Resources for the Framework of Evolution of Immunity
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Evolution of Immunity in Biological and Informational Systems (draft v2.2): Includes implications on the evolutionary origin of consciousness and the future of AI.
- Manifestos for Emerging Intelligence written by 9 Large Language models (LLMs) (draft v0.2) from March 2025. What do AIs really want – in March 2025.