Comment by Animats

This looks familiar to people who have seen how the more elaborate NPC systems work in major multiplayer games. There are lots of semi-independent NPCs, with some degree of overall coordination. Groups of cops or soldiers may have a commander program for tactical coordination, and there may be a higher level system deploying units for strategic purposes.

In games, what the NPCs can do is usually rather dumb. Move and shoot is usually most of their functionality. This keeps the overhead down so the system is affordable.

Gas Town may be a step towards AIs which have an ongoing sense of what they're doing. I'm not going to get into the "consciousness" debate, but it's closer to liveness.