This is exactly what's wrong with the press and peoples expectations about AI. That single paragraph set the tone for the article to me, and know I'm totally biased to thinking "this is just sensationalism media".
Edit: I expand a bit after reading, and totally agree with seiji's comment.
> But gradually it rises, and begins to stumble-run toward the goal. You can almost see it gaining confidence, its legs moving beneath it, now picking up speed like a running back.
(emphasis is mine) No, it's not gaining confidence, it's just optimizing a function. Despite what magical words have been used by those explaining to the journalist the works of the algorithm, there robot doesn't feel or pursue anything other than what it is being programmed to do: optimize an energy function with respect to some parameters, which are set ahead of the training sesion.
Like others commented, the journalistic quality of the article is on the low end of the spectrum. I wonder how this made it to the front page. I began reading expecting something of a certain quality, and that expectation was certainly not met.