It's funny, I know EDI is a program but I still refer to it as a "she". probably because the program seems to have a personality and anything that can talk back to you we all get a little more attached too.
That's true. The human ability to anthropomorphize inanimate or inhuman objects and creatures is quite advanced.
That said, I think it is relevant to acknowledge in whatever way seems best to you another's ability to reason and make their own decisions. Whether you want to call this free will or sentience is irrelevant.