I don't think it's a 'correct path to sentience'. It's a small step in teaching the system how to speak to/with us, and to do it how we naturally speak. When we watch Sci-fi shows, people just randomly speak to the computer - and it's done so in such a natural way, that the computer can tell in the midst of conversation when it's being prompted. This is a part of that. This isn't the path to sentience, this is the path to natural communication technology - which will absolutely be used in all AI.