How long until computers can actually reason, adapt, think, problem solve, tell stories, and understand and provide humor? These are all questions which computer scientists taking care of artificial intelligence systems programming and theory are wondering today. When will a machine, or computer become aware, alert to itself, thus alive, and thinking?
Much of this is philosophical, so much in fact that some wonder back, this means; are humans really thinking or merely giving an answer to stimuli in a really predictable way?
Recently, there were some top scientists and computer engineers in the field suggesting that mankind in their find a thinking computer, true intelligence, has moved in the wrong direction, knowning that a neural network, which would be described as a totally different configuration would be correct, something less than dissimilar from what sort of Internet works where each point might do many calculations or differing types.
As there are another group insisting that true artificial intelligence needs to be able to forget as a way to work correctly therefore it doesn't exhibit schizophrenic behavior (which has been observed by the way), and also the ability to make a few mistakes.
Simply mimicking human expression, or responding using data bases of phrases is not actually thinking. Even CRM software which touts itself to artificially intelligent driven is not really aware, it isn't really really thinking, and even though it might pass the Turing Test; the opportunity to fool a person's into believing it's really a real person they are talking too. Nevertheless, I'd advise a true thinking computer would be able to consider the reverse, and realize whether it's actually talking to a true human or conversing with another computer.
Perhaps in the future all those lines can be so blurred concerning result in the Turing Test irrelevant?
Indeed, there are entire chains of AI computers which speak to each other in Internet Forums. It's as though this is a conversation between two different people, though the dialogue is completely shallow, and no original thinking really, however some with the responses are interesting, some laughable, but humans too make stupid remarks often enough the other only must surf Facebook for 5-minutes to determine that.
Will computers be capable of think? Well, assuming you mean; the best way humans think, the answer is yes, eventually.
Currently, it seems like the Turing Test may be achieved, on the other hand ask is the real test or threshold you should be considering. The first choice for belief that not simply will AI become aware, but it will out think humans by combining the very best of all possible, likewise modified humans, "transhumans" as it were, coupled to computer devices is going to do precisely the same, understanding that my girlfriends is simply matter of time. So, please consider pretty much everything and think onto it.