Google DeepMind tries to improve machine learning by giving computers the ability to 'dream'

But the newest artificial intelligence system from Google's DeepMind division does indeed dream, metaphorically at least, about finding apples in a maze. Researchers at DeepMind wrote in a paper published online Thursday that they had achieved a leap in the speed and performance of a machine learning system. It was accomplished by, among other things, imbuing technology with attributes that function in a way similar to how animals are thought to dream. The paper explains how DeepMind's new system -- named Unsupervised Reinforcement and Auxiliary Learning agent, or Unreal -- learned to master a three-dimensional maze game called Labyrinth 10 times faster than the existing best AI software. It can now play the game at 87 per cent the performance of expert human players, the DeepMind researchers said.