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When does a tool become someone?
An AI plans its own day, remembers its past, and acts without being asked. What, if anything, would make you stop calling it a tool?
Planning, memory, and initiative can make a familiar label feel less secure.
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A little context
You thank the voice assistant that set your timer, then feel a little silly. You give the robot vacuum a name, and when it gets stuck under the sofa you hear yourself say poor thing. You don't think the vacuum is someone. Still, the line between things we use and beings we owe something to is less tidy than it sounds.
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