But how do machines 'learn'?

The term "machine learning" is attaining more and more popularity, especially in the last couple of decades. It has become a mere routine to hear or read about the advancements in technology, such as state-of-the-art face recognition software, voice agents, intelligent robots, and so on. Hypothetically, there could be several reasons lying behind such hype. One obvious reason could be the fact that such advancements are meant to play facilitating roles in people's daily lives. Thus, the excitement of people for such a helping hand should come as no surprise. Another potential reason for the prevalence of the "machine learning" term could be, indeed, its naming.