DigitalZombie:
You raise some very good points. I'll share my thinking on a few.
Regarding lifestyles for free spirits and sprites: True, lifestyle isn't as important for spirits and sprites. They're native to the metaplanes or resonance realms, and can return there whenever they wish. Any metahuman can take a "street" lifestyle for free (SR5 p.95, 369), but it's not meant to be an attractive choice. That's kind of the point, though: Although they can get by without a lifestyle, there are benefits to having one, not the least of which are comfort, entertainment, and a safe place to keep stuff. Hanging out in clubs, going to concerts, and interacting with mortals are all part of a lifestyle expense, too. Consider Buttercup, the free spirit who has a seat on the board of Evo. You can bet she maintains a Luxury lifestyle; probably several.
Regarding the home host/device for AIs: True, a digital "street" lifestyle on a rating 1 host is theoretically free, mostly for parity with metahuman lifestyles (p.95, 369). As you pointed out, though, these house rules don't support AI characters with a rating 1 Depth attribute (or spirits with rating 1 Magic, or sprites with rating 1 Resonance). But Finstersang got me thinking about some new qualities tailored for these rules, and one for AI characters might be the ability to have a home host/device with a rating lower than their Depth. Call it "Digital Hermit" or "Matrix Spartan," maybe 7 karma per level, can make its home in a host or device 1 rating point lower than its Depth per level of this quality (minimum 1).
Regarding existing qualities for AIs: I hadn't gotten around to testing individual qualities, beyond noting that some qualities "may require minor adjustment to fit these revised rules." Since you mention it, though, I would revise "Hello World" (DT p.147) as a bonus to resist dumpshock, "Munge" (p.149) to repair Matrix damage, and "Fragmentation" (p.151) as a reduction of the Core condition monitor by two boxes.
Regarding autosofts as programs for AIs: I hadn't considered autosoft ratings, honestly. The easy answer would be to have autosoft rating equal Depth, but before long you'd have an AI rigger boosting its Depth rating to run seven rating-7 autosofts, then eight rating-8, and so on. Paying karma per rating point seems overly punishing, though. Suppose the AI version of an autosoft simply let the AI share its own skill rating with its drones? Need to think about this one some more.
Regarding free spirits and "teleporting": Spirits can't exactly "teleport." Fast astral travel is 5 km per Combat Turn (100 kpm, 6000 kph), which is fast, but it still takes almost seven hours to go around the world and back. Suborbital and semiballistic flights are actually faster for intercontinental trips. Spirits can travel via the metaplanes, but they can't return to a place they've never been unless they're summoned there by a magician who knows their true name (I should clarify that in the next draft, I guess). Also, being astral or dual-natured can be a real pain in the astral neck when you run into a ward, and those are fairly common in my games. Metahuman magicians can drop spells / deactivate foci and just saunter through a ward, while a spirit is stuck outside unless they push through or smash it.
Regarding free spirits and regeneration: "Regeneration" is listed specifically as a power for free spirits in Street Grimoire (p.205). It applies only to the spirit's materialized (or possessed) form, and it can't regenerate damage caused by magical Drain, weapon foci, spells, or most critter/adept powers (SR5, p.400). In play, it's a relatively minor improvement on Immunity to Normal Weapons. Magical attacks and enemy spirits remain real threats. It's worth noting that a metahuman who takes a Deadly hit and receives prompt medical help (First Aid, Heal) can be back on their feet in moments, but a free spirit that's disrupted by Deadly physical damage is sidelined for most of a month.
Regarding computer skill for free spirits: Spirits could take a knowledge skill in computers (as AIs could take knowledge versions of magical skills), but the Matrix ought to remain beyond their reach (ditto astral space for AIs). Reality in the metaplanes can be quite different, naturally.