I often think about and wonder whether we'll ever bring a machine to the point of having consciousness and feelings. As with a large number of things that I have no "settled concept" about, I go back and forth.
Your short story stirs my thinking about that again.
Have you ever seen the British TV series "Humans?" It has a similar effect on me.
Thanks for stimulating the ol' grey matter! ;)
No, I haven't seen the series - Is it on Netflix?
I'll have to ask my son where he gets it... I suspect it is some internet source, but I don't know where...
Quite an excellent series, though!