For the purpose of this question only a metabolically active cellular form of life will count so pure replicators like viruses and prions are outside the scope of the question.

The proposed artificial organism must be created de novo and all the intermediary steps must be shown to be achievable without requiring the assistance of preexisting biological processes or materials.

The artificial cell should be a self-sustaining dissipative chemical system capable of homeostasis and reacting to external stimuli in ways that increase its odds of continuing existing.

It's not required for the artificial organism to be capable of undergoing reproduction and its metabolism could be streamlined compared to that of even the most simple currently existing free-living prokaryotes.

The question resolves as the option to receive scientific consensus first.