Can machines really surpass the human brain?

Minsky believes that machines could be conscious-possibly even more conscious than humans.(Beedles, 116)
Machines can take in data and remember data faster and more accurately than the human brain. Machines have the capability of having extra memory added to them, whereas the human brain has to work hard to get the brain to remember more and more, especially as time goes on. With more programming, machines can be taught to recognize faces and sounds. The human brain may recognize someones face, but may struggle with remembering who that person is.
Minsky has some good point about how far machines could be developed in the future, however, machines could never really replace a real person. People need communication with other people, not just for feelings, but everyone needs to feel the human touch.
We can use machines to talk to and they could possibly answer us, but could a machine ever really replace the way a person makes us feel, could they ever give us that feeling that someone really cares. I don't think that is possible. I know that after a long time without talking to another adult, or having a hug from another adult, a person starts to feel lonely and sad. I don't think machines could ever replace that feeling. Maybe for technology they could surpass the human brain, but for emotional status I don't feel that they could surpass the human brain.