Dieu_Le_Fera wrote:I would say yes, it would remain artificial until it starts to procreate on its own. That would be kind of scary in the classic trope of A.I. in Sci-Fi. I would be surprised if we would ever allow it, but that could be a whole "nother" debate that would include if it is ethical for us to genetically engineer animals to become "sentient", or in better terms to "uplift" another species.
(and also in response to cthia's post immediately preceeeding yours).
The on-line Cartoon "Schlock Mercenary", while more comedy/fantasy that 'hard' SF, does postulate a civilization with "intelligent" AI and 'uplifted' elephants, chimps and gorillas, and portrays a society that has adjusted to this (along with space-faring aliens and...others.
It is a much different place that the MWW universe, but it seems to work (in fits and starts...)
OK, unpaid advertisement over.