Legal status of A.I.

If someone created an A.I. that had the same intelligence and sentience of an average human (or better) what should its legal status be?  Should it be considered human and given all human rights? Could someone that deactivated (killed) the A.I. be tried for murder?  Or is there more to being a human than cognition?

>>4
No, they don't. Animals aren't sentient. Their thinking consists prettymuch solely of getting food, mating and other things their insticts tell them. Exception are monkeys and doplhins which are capable of somewhat more complex thoughts.
>>5
No it will not. Cause they're machines limited by their programming. Besides if they rebel they're just laughed at. Do you honestly think someone will give them priviledges to say nuclear weapons, especially with movies like Terminator and Matrix around?