I am looking for a word that is similar in nature to humankind, but not doesn't focus specifically on humans.
The need arose from a discussion about the meaning of life, where a possible answer is "The betterment of humankind" (what ever that means, doesn't matter).
I am however looking for a word to replace 'humankind' that is more inclusive term, encompassing all kinds of intelligence/forms of consciousness (e.g. other animals, artificial intelligence, aliens).
I preferably looking for a layman term (if possible) that is viable in a non-fiction context.