When not defeating human Go masters, machine intelligence is teaching itself how the world works by picking up household objects and playing with kids' toys

The real world is hard to grasp Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty

VICTORY to the machines – again. Google’s AlphaGo software has defeated human Go grandmaster Lee Sedol 4-1 in a five-game series. Despite Lee coming back to win the fourth game (see page “Machine outsmarts man in battle of the decade“), for many the realisation of what was taking place was stark. “I didn’t think AlphaGo would play the game in such a perfect manner,” Lee admitted in shock.

The showdown has drawn eyes from around the world – 30 million people watched it in China alone. Like Deep Blue checkmating chess grandmaster …