Understanding Embodied Cognition by Building Models of Minimal Life

A novel scenario is emerging from the synthetic biology advancements of the last fifteen years. We refer to a well-defined multi- disciplinary sci-tech arena dedicated to the construction of biological-like systems, and, in particular, microscopic cell-like systems. The challenge of assembling a minimal cell from separated parts is generally considered the Holy Grail of biology. However, an accurate analysis of this emerging line of research, grounded in the theory of autopoiesis and its implications, is able to show its potentially high relevance for two other fields – artifi- cial life and artificial intelligence. In this paper we intend to propose this perspective. Based on the critical discussion of recent trends and experi- mental results in synthetic biology, we sketch out how current research in this field can impact not only artificial life, but also artificial intelligence inquiries, in particular with respect to embodied cognition.