We are no different than computers

[Alex K]

Maybe it is, maybe isn't. I just like to shit all over people's feigned certainty.

How rude. Don't you remember that we have a God given right not to be offended in our scientism?

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Guys, read about artificial neural networks. We are not talking about writing an algorithm that acts in some limited fixed ways here, as the colloquial use of the word "programming" would suggest.

This is true enough.  In fact, in a complex ANN, we STILL won't know how complex ideas form. Much as with the brain (maybe more so), we will only be able to wave toward our ANN and say, "Something happened in there. . ."
@OP
My question is this. Is it safe therefore to ASSUME that something which behaves like an emotional human therefore has an actual mind and actual feelings? How do you tell the difference between an actually sentient being and one that might seem to be sentient, but really isn't? Should robots that can pass the Turing test be given human rights? Should disabling one count as murder?

You ask the famous question about philosophical zombies. Well, I don't know, of course. But I'd be willing to believe that something which behaves like an emotional human and generates this behaviour via a similar procedure, actually is sentient.