Any self replicator can be. I am not sure about non-replicating agents like some AIs. Besides having a way to copy what it learns into the future, self replica

Any self replicator can be. I am not sure about non-replicating agents like some AIs. Besides having a way to copy what it learns into the future, self replication also provides a goal, a guiding force - of course, the goal is to avoid death before replication. Another great quality of self replication is its open-endedness. It can become anything as long as it keeps replicating. For these three qualities I consider self replication the basic process behind consciousness. They create the means by which open ended learning can evolve.