Can Machines be a Person?

There are several characteristics that exist in a person that cannot exist in a
machine such as a computer- so no, I do not believe that machines can be
persons. For one, a person must have an "I" perspective. They have sel-
perception, means o sel-identiication, memories and experiences, !hich in turn
provide them !ith a uni"ue, personal identity. # person has the ability to learn,
and then ta$e !hat they%ve learned and apply it to real lie situtions. &esides this,
a person can utili'e this $no!led(e and these experiences in more than one !ay,
at any (iven time. # person has the ree !ill to have any thou(ht, ma$e any
decision, and eel any emotion- a machine is pro(rammed to (enerate responses
similar to that o a persons) because these responses came rom a person.
Machines are pro(rammed by a person, to carry out speciic unctions. *espite
advancin( technolo(y, these machines are and !ill al!ays be limited in its
processes. +hen a machine such as a computer or even a robot interacts !ith a
person in a manner that may appear to be lie-li$e, it is simply (ivin( previously
re(istered output. #s$ a "uestion, and it !ill reply !ith an ans!er that any person
could. ,o!ever, this ans!er is inormation stored in a machine because it is a
real person-li$e response, not because it is an ans!er the machine believes or
relates to rom personal opinion or experience. #lso, a machine cannot learn in
the same !ay a person can. People see, listen, practice, understand, and utili'e
inormation. # machine !ill be ed inormation as input and store it as it is. The
same (oes or emotional responses, or havin( the ability to eel. # machine may
be able to appear as thou(h it actually is havin( an emotional response, li$e
Furby bein( scared o bein( held upside do!n. This is, a(ain, -ust a result o
pro(rammin(. Furby is pro(rammed to ma$e a response similar to one !e%d see
in a person, (iven a certain situation. The sub-ect o emotions and experiencin(
eelin(s is a diicult one, since it can be ar(ued that there.s no !ay to $no! i
Furby is scared or not- -ust li$e ultimately there.s no !ay to $no! or sure i
another person is scared or not. ,o!ever, a person has acial and body
lan(ua(e that is oten prominent and extremely unpredictable- so unpredictable
they are sometimes una!are o it. /ye movement, nervous tic$s, !rin$led
oreheads) it all (ives a!ay clues o eelin(s and emotions. &ac$ to "I"
perspective, !hile I mi(ht not be able to prove someone else is happy or sad, I
$no! !hat I eel !hen I am happy or sad, and chances are the eelin( is similar
0considerin( it is relevant to a biolo(ical bac$(round1. # machine may not choose
ho! it !ill emotionally react to somethin(, nor !ill it be surprised by it or able to
react in multiple !ays li$e a person can. It !ill react in the !ay it is supposed to,
ma$in( machines predictable, !hile a persons emotions and eelin(s are much
more unprintable. &ecause o this, no matter ho! much inormation is stored in a
machine- it could %$no!% thousands o sentences and display thousands o
emotional responses, it !ill never be (ivin( you these responses on its o!n.
Toys 0machines1 li$e Furby and the Fur2eal Friend I had !hen !as a little (irl
are desi(ned very tactully to seem as thou(h they are actually alive. +hen
you%re youn( and you have these toys, you pet them as i they !ill eel and
beneit rom your touch. 3ou put out ood and !ater or them as i they need it-
and !hen they don%t consume it, they don%t die, !hich brin(s up another reason
machines can%t be people4 biolo(y. 3ou could say a machine has its o!n "internal
or(ans", microchips and batteries instead o lun(s and a heart. These
mechanisms can be endlessly created rom nothin(, our or(ans cannot. +hile
your urby%s batteries may die, they can easily be replaced. The same thin( can
not be said about or example, your heart. People a(e, our cells die and are (one
orever and eventually, so are !e.