Computers are not very good at looking at complex problems and resolving them with solutions that they have not been programmed with beforehand. To free itself from these limitations, a computer would have to develop an ability to learn and think for itself. It would have to become intelligent. The key is that this particular kind of organization applies to any kind of life form. Any specific materials can become the medium, as long as they can support that special type of organization.
Researchers believe that the computer is a new potential medium for life.
Aquazone and other projects are an effort to take the first steps towards realizing artificial life. Artificial Life and AI research allow us to understand how to create complex systems. As our increasing knowledge becomes more demanding of our computer technology, the software we rely on becomes increasingly complex and more difficult to produce. Artificial Life and AI permits the rise of self-regulating complex systems that derive from relatively simple sets of rules. Like any new advance in science, the challenges are not purely technical ones, ethical questions will arise and must be answered.