The ability to speak and even interact doesn't necessarily make one sentient or sapient. Teletraan-1 and A.U.N.T.I.E. were capable of interactive speech but AFAIK are non-sentient artificial intelligences. Ditto Car Robot's AI (RiD T-AI) who even displayed simulated artificial emotions. To me the Action Master partners are Sparkless (and thus lifeless) droids, some of which are imbued with artificial intelligence, but are not actually living beings themselves who possess sentience or sapience.