The line keeps moving

The sorter did not reveal one boundary between understanding and imitation. It revealed several possible tests.

A calculator tests whether getting the right answer is enough. The Chinese Room tests whether symbols carry meaning for the system using them. The doctor tests whether someone must be able to explain a skill. The grief response tests whether understanding requires felt experience.

These tests are related, but they are not identical. Something may satisfy one and fail another.

Before asking whether a machine understands, we need to be more specific. Do we mean producing correct answers, connecting symbols to the world, adapting knowledge to a new situation, or having a conscious experience?