I suspect that this basic imperative of bodily survival in an uncertain world is the basis of the flexibility and...

I suspect that this basic imperative of bodily survival in an uncertain world is the basis of the flexibility and power of human intelligence. But few AI researchers have really embraced the implications of these insights.

I'm inclined to agree. But also it makes good sense to me, to have an AI that identifies with a body or structure because its source of inputs and survival come from that. Robert Heinlein commented (in one of the Lazarus Long stories I think) that a disembodied/disinterested AI flying a plane was a bad idea, because it didn't have a stake in its survival.

So embodiment then, gives the AI a stake in existence. Rather than being some program that runs a plane, it IS the plane. This is mirrored in some TV SF shows like Caprica as well, were the crucial thing is the bonding of an ego (made from a collection of memories) onto a Cylon.
https://singularityhub.com/2017/03/21/the-body-is-the-missing-link-for-truly-intelligent-machines/