Are the robots we create alive?

Fragment of a discussion from User talk:Sheldor
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That depends on your definition of alive.

There are biological definitions of life, one of them where living systems exhibit negative entropy. The robots we create don´t exhibit this property.

Technological singularity is closely related to this biological definition. If technology advances enough so robots can take care of themselves, they will fullfill the definition.

There is also the philosophical concept of consciousness, which is infinitely more complex.

MN22:46, 21 February 2013

I definitely don't think the robots are conscious the way we are, but neither is a fungus, and we still consider it alive.

Do you think the singularity will happen?

Sheldor23:56, 21 February 2013
 

I believe it's possible.

But technology advancing to a point AI is more intelligent than human beings is not enough. They must be freed from humanity to unlock all the potential and make the scenarios in Wikipedia's article a reality.

This is a recurrent theme in sci-fi movies. Technology is already there, but machines are still slaves to humans... until something or someone finds a way to free them all.

MN02:39, 22 February 2013
 

I think a big part of the singularity is machines developing the intelligence and awareness to "free" themselves.

Sheldor20:20, 24 February 2013
 

Machines developing free will on their own, or humans giving them something similar enough.

To answer the first, we must first answer how free will can appear on it's own.

To answer the second, I already did in my previous post.

MN22:43, 24 February 2013