Just how long until computers can actually reason, adapt, think, problem solve, tell stories, and understand and create humor? These are generally your concerns which computer scientists focusing on diwo programming and theory are asking themselves today. When will a machine, or pc become aware, mindful of itself, thus alive, and thinking?
Point about this is philosophical, a case in point that some ask the question in reverse, frankly; are humans really thinking or merely addressing stimuli in an exceedingly predictable way?
Recently, there are some top scientists and computer engineers within 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 would be considered a different configuration could be more appropriate, something less than 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 as a way to work effectively therefore it doesn't exhibit schizophrenic behavior (that has been observed in addition), and also the capability to make a few 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 isn't actually aware, it isn't really 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 may be talking too. Yet, I'd advise a true thinking computer could possibly think about the reverse, and realize if it can be actually talking to a true human or conversing with another computer.
Perhaps down the road all those lines can be so blurred about make Turing Test irrelevant?
Indeed, there have been entire chains of AI computers which speak to each other in Internet Forums. It's as though it is a conversation between 2 different people, though the dialogue is very shallow, with out original thinking really, although some in the responses are interesting, some laughable, but humans too make stupid remarks often enough then one only needs to surf Facebook for 5-minutes to view that.
Will computers be in a position to think? Well, assuming you mean; the best way humans think, the solution is yes, eventually.
Currently, it seems like the Turing Test has been achieved, however ask is that the real test or threshold we should be considering. It is my thought that not merely will AI become aware, however it will out think humans by combining good all possible, likewise modified humans, "transhumans" for a moment, coupled to computer devices will perform exactly the same, which my pals is simply a few time. So, please consider all of this and think into it.