[anigbrowl]

I care about this question. I think that 'creating algorithms that act as if at a human level of intelligence than creating algorithms that recreate human states of mind' is part of the problem, and acts as a limitation on our AI. I am actively interested in AI that has a sense of self and is capable of developing preferences rather than mere opinions.

That doesn't mean I buy Searle's argument, and indeed have refuted it below. But I do think that dismissing the questions asked by philosophy out of hand is a mistake, and is causing us to overlook opportunities. The most likely place for general AI to develop is on mobile devices - not in a her type human fashion, though.