all life is just a complex machine.
the problem is that our bodies and brains are basically lightyears ahead of the current technology.
random association and near instant access to memory, as well as sheer data space in our minds is beyond comprehension at this point.
but honestly, think how humans are made, we don't actually have free thought the way most people think we do, and any true free thought can be attributed to malfunctions in the brain/central nervous system/etc.
can't a floating point error while calculating a decision be considered free thought?