Are the robots we create alive?

I'm half kidding - it's a reference to a classic Zen koan: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gateless_Gate#Case_1:_Joshu.27s_Dog]

To me, the interesting question is that of defining / assessing consciousness or free will. Along the lines of my own viewpoint is the idea that if we have any free will, then even subatomic particles must also exhibit some degree of freedom (er, unpredictability). [http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/35391/description/Do_subatomic_particles_have_free_will]

I would say that Robocode bots are not alive in terms of consciousness, but that I'm not entirely convinced we are either, or to what extent. It "seems" we are, but that's circular reasoning.