How long until computers can actually reason, adapt, think, problem solve, tell stories, and understand and create humor? They are all queries which computer scientists taking care of cognitive computing programming and theory are thinking about today. When will a machine, or computer system become aware, aware of itself, thus alive, and thinking?
Much of this is philosophical, a case in point that some wonder backwards, frankly; are humans really thinking or merely answering stimuli in a really predictable way?
Recently, there has been some top scientists and computer engineers inside the field suggesting that mankind in their visit a thinking computer, true intelligence, has moved inside the wrong direction, and that a neural network, which would be considered a totally different configuration would be appropriate, something not very dissimilar from how a Internet works where each point might do many calculations or various sorts.
As there are another group insisting that true artificial intelligence needs the ability to forget as a way to be effective so that it doesn't exhibit schizophrenic behavior (that has been observed mind you), along with the ability to make a few mistakes.
Simply mimicking human expression, or responding using data bases of phrases isn't thinking. Even CRM software which touts itself as being artificially intelligent driven isn't really aware, it is not really thinking, and even though it may pass the Turing Test; the ability to fool a human into believing it's a real person they are talking too. Nevertheless, I'd suggest a true thinking computer would be able to look at the reverse, and realize whether it is speaking with a real human or actually talking to another computer.
Perhaps down the road all those lines will become so blurred concerning result in the Turing Test irrelevant?
Indeed, there were entire chains of AI computers which speak to the other person in Internet Forums. It appears as if it is a conversation between two different people, but the dialogue is entirely shallow, with no original thinking really, however some from the responses are interesting, some laughable, but humans too make stupid remarks often enough the other only must surf Facebook for 5-minutes to view that.
Will computers ever be able to think? Well, assuming you mean; the way humans think, the answer is yes, eventually.
Currently, it appears the Turing Test has been achieved, however ask is that the real test or threshold we should be considering. It's my thought that not only can AI become aware, however it will out think humans by combining the very best of all possible worlds, likewise modified humans, "transhumans" as it were, coupled to computer devices will perform the identical, knowning that my friends is simply couple of time. So, please consider this all and think on it.