Final answer:
The long-standing goal of artificial intelligence (AI) that the question refers to is D)Strong AI, an advanced form of AI that aims to mimic human cognitive abilities across a wide range of tasks similar to how a human would perform them.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the long-standing goals of artificial intelligence (AI) is to achieve OPTION D:Strong AI (Artificial General Intelligence).
This refers to the development of systems that can mimic human cognitive abilities and perform a range of tasks that would typically require human intelligence. While current AI, termed as weak AI, tends to specialize in one task (think Apple's Siri or social media bots), Strong AI aims to be much more versatile and capable. Despite views like those of John Searle, who argue that machines cannot possess intentionality or consciousness like humans, the pursuit of Strong AI continues with the aim to create machines that can problem solve, adapt, and learn across various domains, not just mimicking, but truly understanding and improvising as a human might.