Sometimes, a machine that imitates the behaviour of a conscious agent without itself being one. On this definition we ourselves are not automata, but the theory of how we differ from an automaton is not obvious (see mind–body problem, behaviourism, functionalism ). More widely, any machine running according to a program may be thought of as an automaton, and the question whether that includes us is then open. See also Turing test.
Philosophy dictionary. Academic. 2011.