[legion]

No, we don't have the processing power yet. Even computers that "learn" do so because of very limited instructions.

One idea I was playing with for a while was writing predictive models that self-adjusted--that is, learned from their own results and adjusted their own calculations to produce better results. Even when this was in the bubbling around in my head phase, I quickly realized the processing power it would take to look at and evaluate new variables in real-time. (And I have access to a lot of big iron.)

I remember hearing that science fiction writers in general tend to underestimate hardware advances and overestimate software advances. I consider intelligence and awareness to be software functions.