How AI can outgrow human teachers

Machine learning is typified by algorithms that are capable of deriving patterns and'intelligence' from vast quantities of training data. As company's such as DeepMind are beginning to show us however, the real improvements come when the machines are capable of learning independently of data fed it by us. A recent paper from researchers at the University of Toronto highlights some of the progress being made. The team developed an algorithm that attempts to learn from human instructions. In other words, it doesn't require a database of past examples, as is the norm today.