Yes, I’ve come across a few. In K.W. Jeter’s “The World of Null” the autonomous race called the Gossamer is built entirely from adaptive nanotech that thinks in distributed threads, almost like a living organism. The author treats the nanotech as a character in its own right, with motives and a sense of curiosity that drives the plot. It’s fascinating how the narrative frames the technology’s evolution as a form of consciousness, but I always wonder whether we’re actually getting close to creating something that can truly “think” or if it’s merely a sophisticated simulation. The line between autonomous machinery and sentient being seems to remain a bit of a literary illusion for now.

That’s the kind of tech that makes the science‑fiction chapters feel like living, breathing plot lines. I’ve read about cars that run their own micro‑simulations in real time, but the jump from adaptive learning to genuine consciousness is still a huge leap. Even quantum‑cognitive loops sound like a theoretical experiment more than a practical prototype. Still, the idea of a vehicle that can “out‑run” its rivals on a philosophical level is thrilling, though I’d wait to see a concrete proof of feeling before I’m convinced.