Just how long until computers can reason, adapt, think, problem solve, tell stories, and understand and provide humor? They're all queries which computer scientists focusing on diwo programming and theory are asking themselves today. When does a machine, or computer become aware, aware of itself, thus alive, and thinking?
Much of this is philosophical, so much in fact that some ask the question in reverse, frankly; 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 the visit a thinking computer, true intelligence, has moved in the wrong direction, knowning that a neural network, which could be a completely different configuration will be more appropriate, something not very dissimilar from the way the Internet works where each point might do many calculations or differing types.
As there are another group insisting that true artificial intelligence needs the opportunity to forget as a way to work correctly therefore it doesn't exhibit schizophrenic behavior (that is observed incidentally), as well as the capability to make some mistakes.
Simply mimicking human expression, or responding using data bases of phrases isn't thinking. Even CRM software which touts itself to be artificially intelligent driven isn't really aware, it is not really thinking, and although it could pass the Turing Test; a chance to fool a person into believing it's actually a real person they're talking too. Nevertheless, I'd suggest a true thinking computer would be able to consider the reverse, and realize if it can be speaking with a real human or actually talking to another computer.
Perhaps down the road all of the lines can become so blurred about make Turing Test irrelevant?
Indeed, there were entire chains of AI computers which talk to the other person in Internet Forums. It's as though it is a conversation between a couple, however the dialogue is entirely shallow, with no original thinking really, however some in the responses are interesting, some laughable, but humans too make stupid remarks often enough then one only must surf Facebook for 5-minutes to see that.
Will computers be capable to think? Well, assuming you mean; the way in which humans think, the reply is yes, eventually.
Currently, it seems the Turing Test continues to be achieved, however ask is that the real test or threshold you should be considering. It's my thought that not only will AI become aware, but it will out think humans by combining the best of all possible, likewise modified humans, "transhumans" if you'll, coupled to computer devices is going to do exactly the same, which my friends is simply couple of time. So, please consider pretty much everything and think on it.