How long until computers can reason, adapt, think, problem solve, tell stories, and understand and create humor? These are all questions which computer scientists focusing on artificial intelligence systems programming and theory are thinking about today. When will a machine, or computer system become aware, alert to itself, thus alive, and thinking?
Much of this is philosophical, so much so that some wonder backwards, that is to say; are humans really thinking or merely giving an answer to stimuli in an exceedingly predictable way?
Recently, there have been some top scientists and computer engineers within the field suggesting that mankind in his look for a thinking computer, true intelligence, has moved within the wrong direction, and that a neural network, which could be considered a very different configuration will be appropriate, something not very dissimilar from how the Internet works where each point might do many calculations or different kinds.
Then there's another group insisting that true artificial intelligence needs the ability to forget in order to work properly in order that it doesn't exhibit schizophrenic behavior (which has been observed in addition), plus the capacity to make mistakes.
Simply mimicking human expression, or responding using data bases of phrases is not really thinking. Even CRM software which touts itself to be artificially intelligent driven is not really aware, it isn't really really thinking, and even though it will pass the Turing Test; a chance to fool an individual into believing it's actually a real person they may be talking too. But, I'd advise a true thinking computer could possibly look at the reverse, and realize if it can be speaking with a true human or conversing with another computer.
Perhaps down the road all of the lines will end up so blurred as to result in the Turing Test irrelevant?
Indeed, there are entire chains of AI computers which talk to the other person in Internet Forums. It appears as if it is just a conversation between 2 different people, nevertheless the dialogue is very shallow, and no original thinking really, however some in the responses are interesting, some laughable, but humans too make stupid remarks often enough and something only should surf Facebook for 5-minutes to view that.
Will computers be able to think? Well, assuming you mean; the way humans think, the answer then is yes, eventually.
Currently, it seems like the Turing Test has been achieved, however ask is that the real test or threshold you should be considering. It is indeed my thought not merely will AI become aware, however it will out think humans by combining the very best of all possible, likewise modified humans, "transhumans" if you will, coupled to computer devices is going to do exactly the same, which my girlfriends is only a few time. So, please consider all this and think on it.