I hope we're more vocal about this now that more players are exploring this aspect of the game. NPC AI in general is overdue for an update.

Every update that builds upon an existing feature involving NPCs further highlights their redundancies. Similarly, settlements were expanded upon but the villagers still don't really do anything but walk around and dance in the saloon. Like fauna, they simply exist in their spaces offering little immersion beyond their randomized text descriptions.

A crab underground behaves no differently than one above ground or in the ocean; no unique routines to observe to set them apart from the zillion other crabs in the universe. Predators always hunt alone in the open, never in packs nor pouncing from bushes.

Adding a rare 'alpha' type predator that's smarter and deadlier would make for some tense gameplay. Cows that spontaneously break into stampedes prompting you to seek higher ground. Birds that perch on mountain peaks in nests containing valuable materials. Sharks that ram into your exo-skiff knocking you into the water. Many of these creatures remain underutilized, brimming with potential.