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Humans have the need to interact with things that we can project emotions on and that can project emotions on us. The first thing that came to my mind was Mr Wilson, from the movie cast away, because I remember that after I first watched it, it puzzled me that you can become dependant on a object that keeps you from going totally insane. Does it really take a set of eyes to feel that part in your brain tingeling that says 'hey! (even-though-it's-obviously-artificial) I can relate, project and interact with that!'
Short answer, yes, yes it does.
To also light the other spectrum of the story we can make it more clear by means of an example. This robot is a test by a dutch city hall to make people engage more with the computer at the entrance which would greet people as is able to verify appointments, call for assistance and get their number before being called to a counter, instead of people constantly walking up to the staff where they would be redirected back to the computer.
As it turns out, the engament drastically improved.
Even though the computer on the right does the exact same thing. The sole difference is the relatable plastic that surrounds it. So when can we call something an artifical creature? Why do we feel something when looking at that robot, but not for the machine on the right?
Even though humans are so complex, it turns out that all it takes to call it a (artificial) creature is something that tingles that little part in your brain that says 'I can project' however broad that spectrum may be.
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