Can robots give birth to babies? Are they considered living organisms? Experts explain

Recently, American researchers discovered a new way of biological reproduction and used this discovery to create the first "living" robot in history that can reproduce itself.

According to relevant reports, initially, researchers extracted stem cells from African clawed frog embryos and cultivated them into skin cells or cardiomyocytes, divided them into single cells, and assembled them under a microscope. These first-generation "living" robots can move in a circle, survive for about a week, and naturally degrade after their energy is exhausted. After that, researchers referred to the design of artificial intelligence and transformed the spherical "living" robot into the shape of the video game "Pac-Man", thus obtaining the world's first self-reproducing "living" robot Xenobot.

Is it a robot or a living organism?

Although people currently call Xenobot a "living" robot, there is still some controversy as to whether it is a machine or a new form of organism. In the view of Ye Sheng, a professor of biology at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, this "living" robot is between organisms and machines, and its behavior patterns are "very similar" to existing robots.

Alien robots collect cells and reproduce offspring. Photo/Observer.com

Ye Sheng said that the so-called robot is actually able to perform a fixed action or a few things autonomously. "The cell aggregate we are talking about this time is actually in this state, but the reason why it is similar to life to some extent is mainly because it is composed of cells, and it has many basic characteristics of life, such as energy utilization and material metabolism. So it is really difficult to define it now."

In the view of some scientists, one of the most notable features of living things is that they can reproduce autonomously. The most notable breakthrough of the latest generation of Xenobots is that researchers have developed the ability to reproduce themselves. Wang Xiaowei, associate professor at the School of Philosophy of Renmin University of China, believes that Xenobots are not robots in the traditional sense, but living, programmable organisms, and their appearance heralds the birth of a new type of man-made object.

Wang Xiaowei said: "The robot we understand now is more like a mechanical machine that performs specific functions through a set of computer programming. This is not a machine either, it is an organism, so it may be closer to a living organism, but it cannot be strictly said to be a living organism, it is completely man-made."

Will it pose a threat to humans?

Biological experts: It is difficult to

The birth of such a self-reproducing "living" robot reminded some onlookers of scenes depicted in science fiction novels and movies. Some netizens commented that this was "alien coming", fearing that scientists had created a deadly biological weapon that could destroy humanity.

In the view of Wang Xiaowei, associate professor at the School of Philosophy of Renmin University of China, although this worry has a strong "science fiction temperament", the anxiety itself is real.

However, Ye Sheng, a professor of biology at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, pointed out that the "living" robots currently created by researchers in the laboratory do not have the ability to survive independently in nature after leaving the laboratory. In other words, in a short period of time, it is difficult for them to pose a threat to our biosphere or even human society.

"We may not need to worry about this at the moment, but in the future, when its functions become more complex, its ability to adapt to the environment becomes stronger, and its ability to self-replicate becomes stronger, it will be difficult to judge what kind of interaction and impact it will have with nature." Ye Sheng said: "So in the long run, its safety is indeed an issue worth considering. But I think it is precisely because safety needs to be considered that we need to study it now. I think the two complement each other."

It may be used in cancer treatment in the future

Although this "living" robot cannot leave the laboratory yet and can only perform some simple and basic activities, Josh Bongard, a professor of computer science at the University of Vermont, said that the combination of molecular biology and artificial intelligence technology may be used for many tasks in the human body and the environment, such as collecting microplastics in the ocean, examining root systems, and regenerative medicine.

Some optimistic researchers say that in the future, "living" robots may also provide more direct and personalized drug treatments for trauma, congenital defects, cancer, aging, etc. Wang Xiaowei, associate professor at the School of Philosophy of Renmin University of China, believes that these goals are "expected in the future", but the current research results are still many steps away from clinical practical application.

Wang Xiaowei said that the current Xenobot is still in the scientific research stage. "What is the purpose of scientists? Not to make medicine, but to observe whether we can create an organism that can replicate. As for whether it will be used in medical treatment in the future, of course the prospect is very bright, but it is still far from being possible to make it highly controllable."

Source: China National Radio (ID: zgzs001)

Producer/Chai Hua

CCTV reporter/Zhang Xiaoxuan

New Media Editor/Xu Chenyang