Artificial intelligence emerged during the late 1950’s as an academic discipline based on the assumption that computers are able to be programmed to think like people.
(A) are able to be programmed to think like people
(B) were able to be programmed to think as people
(C) can be programmed to think as people can
(D) could be programmed to think like people
(E) are capable of being programmed to think like people do

When you see a split in the answer choices between like and as, eliminate answer choices using this rule: LIKE to compare nouns, AS to compare clauses. Don't try to anticipate the answer; you can't reliably guess which direction the question will go. For instance, the correct answer to this question could have said either as people do or like people.

A uses like to compare computers to people. OK.
B uses as to compare computers to people. Those are both nouns. Eliminate.
C uses as to compare can be programmed to can (be programmed). The second instance of be programmed is elided, but that's not a problem. OK.
D uses like to compare computers to people. OK.
E seems to use like to compare think to do. Those are both verbs. Eliminate.

What next? Well, the comparison in C is illogical. the sentence is meant to say that people think, not that people can be programmed to think. By the way, when you see the word like in an SC, whether it's in the underlined section or not, you will almost certainly find at least one answer that makes an illogical comparison.

That leaves just A and D, are able to be vs. could be. I would choose D, could be, more for reasons of concision/awkwardness than because of the verb tense.
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POE leads to option C & D

I chose option D -- correct tense usage -- correct comparison between 'computers' and 'people' using "like"

IMO option C is ambiguous because of the comparison between actions (using "as") -- sounds like we are comparing the two of the following:
- computers can be programmed to think AS
- people can (be programmed to think)

OA pls

D wins. Main clause is in past tense, hence the successive clause needs to maintain the tense.

The concept is described very well in Manhattan GMAT SC guide (Tense Sequence).

"Avoid mixing Present tense with Conditional tense and mixing Past tense with Future tense. The usual sequences are either
1. Present+Future
Eg. The scientist believes that the machine will be wonderful.
OR 2. Past+Conditional.
Eg. The scientist believed that the machine would be wonderful.

Hope this helps.

Computers do not have abilities and they are not capable.... "Capable" and "able" are to "active" for inanimate objects to use.
Eliminate A, B and E.

Between C and D, we must eliminate C on grounds that it uses "can" which is not consistent with the past tense and "programmed to think as people can" . The intended meaning is to think like people.

Answer: D
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Artificial intelligence emerged during the late 1950’s as an academic discipline based on the assumption that computers are able to be programmed to think like people.

(A) are able to be programmed to think like people
This gives a meaning that "Computer are themselves able to be programmed"
We actually want to say that "computer can be programmed"

(B) were able to be programmed to think as people
Three Issues :
1st : "Were" - use of past means that computer no longer can be programmed : This is NOT intended..
2nd : Usage of "as" for comparison needs a verb after the subject.. In short we need a clause after the use of "as" ..
Here "as people do is required"
3rd : Same as Option A

(C) can be programmed to think as people can
"as people can" is incorrect : should be "as people do"

(D) could be programmed to think like people
Correct Choice : Comparison using "like" requires that "like be followed by a noun...which is exactly what is given here...

(E) are capable of being programmed to think like people do
Here a clause (people do) is being compared using "like" which incorrect. Correct usage of Like for comparison shall be as mentioned in Option D
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A is awkward due to the use of “are able to be”.
B is awkward due to use of “were able to be”
C can be eliminated due to the use of “as people can”, leading to comparison between a noun and a process.
E is wordy.
D is the best choice.