How did critics argue that the Chinese room thought experiment oversimplifies computational theories of thought?

Critics have argued that the Chinese room thought experiment oversimplifies computational theories of thought by misidentifying the locus of understanding. The primary objections include:

• The Systems Response: Critics argue that the room's occupant is analogous only to a central processing unit (CPU) rather than the entire computer. From this perspective, the individual does not understand Chinese because they are merely one component of a larger system—which includes the manual, instructions, and symbol-processing mechanisms—that collectively possesses the capacity for understanding.12
• The Robot Reply: This objection suggests that if a computer were integrated into a robot with sensors capable of interacting with the physical environment, it could learn language through experience, similar to how human children acquire their first language. Critics contend that this interaction provides the necessary context for meaning that a static room lacks.12

John Searle rejected these criticisms, maintaining that even if a person memorized the entire system or if a machine received sensory input, the process remains one of formal symbol manipulation that lacks genuine semantic understanding.12