Xenobots

Organic "robots" developed from frog cells have learned to reproduce:

Self-Replicating Robots

Formed from the stem cells of the African clawed frog, the "xenobots," as was revealed in 2020, "could move, work together in groups and self-heal." Now they've developed the ability to reproduce "in a way not seen in plants and animals." The article compares them to Pac-Man figures, and there's a video clip showing them in action. Although they have no practical use yet, eventually they may be capable of applications such as "collecting microplastics in the oceans, inspecting root systems, and regenerative medicine."

These nanobots problematize the definition of "life." Are they robots or organisms? Furthermore, they potentially raise the question of what constitutes intelligence. If intelligence means the ability to respond to environmental changes by adapting one's behavior, even plants and bacteria have it. If true intelligence requires sapience—consciousness—it may be restricted to us, some other higher primates, and a few cetaceans. But if intelligence mainly equals problem-solving, the xenobots do exhibit "plasticity and ability of cells to solve problems."

Margaret L. Carter

Carter's Crypt