What you describe sounds a lot like Stross's Accelerando with the development of ai melded with fabrication as a method of creating a sustainable environment fo

What you describe sounds a lot like Stross's Accelerando with the development of ai melded with fabrication as a method of creating a sustainable environment for later space travel. A good idea but a very long term one in a world very focused on the short term. The initial cost stops anyone but supreme businesses or massive government alliances but would grant them utter supremacy with the eventual influx of resources it would cause. Need to transport goods? Just fling them at Earth and enough of them should hit to recoup your costs within a year of the first shipment. Need to establish a colony where you can do whatever you want? Congrats on your brand new kingdom. If you want to do anything you essentially can with what is basically a new civilization. We also have not created sentient lobsters... someone needs to get on that. We need those to man the factories...