@Silas

Quick reply: I think we will not know exactly, but that does not mean we cannot do it.

More detailed: I believe that the process will go with some sort of connectionist approach maybe mixed with some genetic algorithm voodoo. The key is reaching high complexity system that does something and starts to self-evolve (which in fact is nearly the same thing as learn).

Anyway, I believe that when all is done, we will have the same problem understanding Strong-AI mental processes as we have human brain ones.