in the shell

Donshonto, let me dissect you post for a bit:

Learn
Does not require consciousness (neural networks)
Think
Problems can be solved subconsciously by humans
Decide
AIs can be programed to will, without consciousness (does however depend on your definition of will)
Suffer or feel some type of pain
Can be programmed as well, but will (obviously) not be consciously experienced
Reason
AIs can do it without consciousness
Communicate
Eh... your computer is communicating http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_protocol_suite

Yeah, it´s like this. Everytime something new is invited everyone is against it. For example: the train, the car, the plane...
You should treat everyone and everything as the same. Doesn´t matter if youre black or caucasian or asian or maybe A.I. like tachekoma... Even planet earth is a lifeform. Or trees and animals. Only the fact that they cant "talk" in our eyes let us think they are less worth. But who are we to say bout
us that we´re the highest grade of evolution. Hopefully mankind will se that there are no differences and prejeduices. But they will never learn. Unfortunately.

but how can you explain life? or the big bang? and what was before? and maybe we were all programmed to discuss this? who knows.

I personally doubt that people would consider the Tachcoma's or any AI to be alive unless they had a finite life span comparable to a humans. Also an AI would most likely be comparable to a human brain (e.g. with an underlying genetic code and learned information and processes), if humans did accept Al's as being alive they would probably consider themselves superior due to the fact that they had created the underlying structure of their AI.

just my two cents worth

To clarify my position on the finite life span I am trying to say that to be considered alive is not merely a question of intelligence, a life could be a purpose to be fulfilled before death, by this token if the tachcomas do not have a fixed lifespan then despite the amount of intelligence or understanding they acquire they would just be machines that perpetuate their existence.

yet again this is just my opinion based on no formal training, pleas feel free to correct me.