Can computers think?
When I approach a question like this, I start by stating my own guess. (Since my guess usually isn’t yet well informed, it may be better called a bias). In this case, the answer is yes.
I then look for two basic books with seemingly opposing views. In this case, I am reading The Myth of Artificial Intelligence, by Erik Larson, after having just read The Technological Singularity, by Murray Shanahan. (During these preliminary reads, I am making particular notes of their primary sources.)
Then, I go after the big question: How do I define thinking?
It’s here, in the seemingly simple task of defining words, that I will often find my answer. It’s also here that the primary sources from the basic books are often helpful.
So, do computers think?
I don’t know, but in a month I will have a much better understanding of the question.