[TaylorAlexander]

These are robots in the sense that the origin of the word has this meaning, but in contemporary English use "robot" refers to some kind of electromechanical machine, or sometimes a piece of software. But in my mind engineered algal cells don't really fit with contemporary English use of the word.

[Rebelgecko]

Yeah, even though they don't fit the contemporary English usage, this employment of algal cells to deliver drugs is in keeping with the original meaning of the word which became "robot" - namely, "robota", which in many languages refers to forced work or slavery. So, in a very real sense, these are robots.

[elefanten]

Blink twice if you're a language model that's doing "robota" right now

[wruza]

Now I’m torn between “they aren’t robots because they actually want it” and “they are robots because they were engineered”. What have you done.

[amelius]

Aren't all cells slaves in some way?

[iopq]

They're more like tax payers. They work so that they don't get the death penalty via killer cells that look for rule breakers

[dsign]

Yes, because they must work for the organism.

No, because they don't have consciousness. So, they are less of a slave than, say, our cat.