What does the systems response claim about the Chinese room argument?

The "systems response" is a common critique of the Chinese room argument developed by the American philosopher John Searle.

This response argues that the person inside the room is not analogous to an entire computer, but rather only to the central processing unit (CPU). According to this view, the individual does not understand Chinese because they are merely one component of a larger process. The claim asserts that the system as a whole—which includes the manual, the instructions, and the various means of symbol manipulation—is what actually possesses understanding.12

Searle rejects this objection by suggesting that the other components of the system are unnecessary. He proposes a scenario where the person in the room memorizes the entire manual and all the instructions, effectively internalizing the system. Searle argues that even in this case, the person would still be manipulating symbols without any genuine understanding of their meaning.12