Michael Crichton wrote a science fiction novel called “Prey”. The plot concerns a research lab develops tiny nano-machines capable of replicating animate objects capable of intelligent behavior when many of them swarm together. It’s a step up from the idea that certain insects, like bees or termites, that seem just as stupid as any other insect when acting alone, are capable of building complex structures and organized colonies when interacting in large numbers.
I Googled “collective brain”. Computer software people seem to be trying to simulate this idea.
Yeah, it's called The Cloud.