Umm, I'd think you should be more sceptical of a machine's
claim than that of a person, simply because you know that
*you* are conscious, and other people are built the same,
but that doesn't apply to machines.
>But, maybe we'll know it when it happens?
How will we be able to tell?
>For me, at the moment, if it can learn language in the way humans learn
>language (by being in the midst of talkers- not by receiving special
>instruction) then it passes.
I'd be very happy to grant such a machine intelligence,
and even to say that, in one respect anyway, it's like
us, but I don't see why I should think it conscious.
-- Robin