Chinese Room

Title: Chinese Room

Reference Information
Title: Minds, Brains and Programs
Names of authors: John R. Searle
Publication: Behavioral and Brain Sciences 3 (3): 417-457

Summary:
Searle addresses the idea that even though a computer can return perfect answers, true understanding cannot be achieved.  He uses himself as the basis for his thought experiment.  He supposes that he, knowing no Chinese, is placed in a room with a set of instructions in English.  When a Chinese symbol is passed under the door to him, the instructions tell him what Chinese character should be used as a response.  To someone on the outside, receiving the correct response would imply understanding Chinese, this is not the case.  He claims that this is what computers will be able to achieve, not full understanding.

Discussion:
I agree mostly with Searle.  I think that with what we know now, computers will not achieve understanding in the way that humans do.  However, I feel that there is still a possibility that somewhere down the road, there could be a different kind of AI that could.  This is beyond my level to try to figure out how and when, but I think that based on how far we have come in such a short time, there is still a possibility.