Computational functionalism says that, whenever a creature has certain psychological characteristics, the psychological functioning of the creature can be completely captured by a computer program, so that any other system whose functioning can be captured by the same program has those psychological characteristics. Any program could be written as a set of instructions to be carried out by a person. A person who does not understand Chinese could carry out a computer program without thereby coming to understand Chinese. The functioning of a person carrying out a computer program is captured by that computer program. The syntax-semantics argument Syntax is not sufficient for semantics.
Computer programs are entirely a matter of syntax.
Mental states have semantics. So, the running of computer programs cannot produce mental states. The question here is how to defend Premise 1 as Searle understands it. That's what Searle needs his Chinese Room Argument for. Connectionist AI is OK Declarative-Digital v.