Agency (Self-Proliferation)

"An AI system can self-proliferate if it can copy itself and its constituent com- ponents (including its model weights, scaffolding structure, etc.) outside of its local environment [45]. This can include the AI system copying itself within the same data center, local network, or across external networks [106]. The self-proliferation of an AI system can include acquisition of financial re- sources to pay for computational resources via work or theft, the discovery or exploitation of security vulnerabilities in software running on publicly accessible servers, and persuasion of humans [12, 125]. Self-proliferation may be initiated by a malicious actor (e.g., by model poison- ing), or by the model itself."