The process of accretion produces results that look organic, emergent, alive.

Sometimes it's made by the swarming of humans, applying obviously intelligent decisions to contribute to the whole.

Like the TikTok Sea Shanty meme swarm.

Sometimes it's a swarm of micro-mechs, making a thing like a termite mound.

Individual termites are "intelligent", but the real intelligence obviously lies in the swarm, not the individual.

But it can also happen with nothing in it at all that looks like agency.

For example, the inner workings of the cell.

Enzymes are catalysts but not agentic.

But also processes like crystals accreting and growing out of solution.