The most interesting news in AI that I've seen in a while is not a particular demo of artificial intelligence, but a mathematical formula that suggest intelligence is inevitable when the proper physical conditions of energy/space/time are optimized. So you fine tune a computational system to maximize future options in order to get more intelligence. I don't know enough to judge, but it smells right.

http://io9.com/how-skynet-might-emerge-from-simple-physics-482402911