A simple example, web search engine, overtime, the search result is getting "better" meaning that the relevancy of search results improve. Does it counted as self-perfecting? Or adaptive routing, the network adjust itself when nodes are added, or dropped out. The routing information are not programmed in by the programmers directly, is that self-perfecting?

If you are argue that the rules are programmed in by the designers, hence, it is not learning. Well, consider human cognitive, "learning" is imprinted in our brain too, isn't that "programmed" also? Unless you believe in meta-physical, human cognitive process is just as "mechanical " as data processing in computer, i.e it is based on input/simulation, and feedback...

Deeper Blue has about 700k grandmaster games and 4k positions in its database for opening. What is the difference between a human "learning" these from books which are written by others, and computer has it inputed by people.