The length of time until computers can actually reason, adapt, think, problem solve, tell stories, and understand and create humor? They're all questions which computer scientists working on cognitive computing programming and theory are thinking about today. When does a machine, or computer system become aware, conscious of itself, thus alive, and thinking?
Much of this is philosophical, because of this that some wonder backwards, in other words; are humans really thinking or merely answering stimuli in an exceedingly predictable way?
Recently, there were some top scientists and computer engineers within the field suggesting that mankind in their visit a thinking computer, true intelligence, has moved in the wrong direction, which a neural network, which may be a totally different configuration can be more appropriate, something less than dissimilar from how the Internet works where each point might do many calculations or various sorts.
Plus there is another group insisting that true artificial intelligence needs to be able to forget so that you can work correctly in order that it doesn't exhibit schizophrenic behavior (which has been observed in addition), and also the capacity to get some things wrong.
Simply mimicking human expression, or responding using data bases of phrases isn't thinking. Even CRM software which touts itself to artificially intelligent driven is not actually aware, it is not really thinking, and although it may pass the Turing Test; a chance to fool an individual into believing it is a real person they may be talking too. And yet, I'd suggest a true thinking computer can think about the reverse, and realize if it's conversing with a true human or actually talking to another computer.
Perhaps in the foreseeable future those lines will end up so blurred about result in the Turing Test irrelevant?
Indeed, there were entire chains of AI computers which speak to one another in Internet Forums. It seems like it's a conversation between 2 different people, though the dialogue is very shallow, no original thinking really, however some with the responses are interesting, some laughable, but humans too make stupid remarks often enough the other only should surf Facebook for 5-minutes to view that.
Will computers ever be able to think? Well, assuming you mean; the best way humans think, the reply is yes, eventually.
Currently, it seems like the Turing Test has become achieved, on the other hand ask is that the real test or threshold we should be considering. It's my thought that not simply will AI become aware, but it'll out think humans by combining good all possible worlds, likewise modified humans, "transhumans" if you will, coupled to computer devices can do the identical, and that my girlfriends is simply a matter of time. So, please consider pretty much everything and think into it.