I understand you post and was written with a great example. I do not deny that Deep Learning has a long way to go, yet I (as a Philosophy sub-major) can't leave my original contention alone. So with my technical knowledge I can build a do-able A.I. machine which can have elements of Deep Learning if I understand it correctly.
In this case let's use our imagination:
The simplest A.I. is a feedback circuit - like a thermostat. It always tries to control temperature within a set range. It finds it difficult to operate if the external environment is beyond it's mechanical capacity to operate. I.E. if the external temp is too cold (if it is a heat pump) or too warm (as a fridge). Uncontrolled, it eventually burns the compressor out. This damage can be avoided if another temp sensor on the compressor/motor allows it to shut itself off. So it protects itself from damage, but it still wants to work, that is achieve its purpose-of-being.
So let's give it mobility and more sensors around its environment to find a more environmentally friendly position to operate. So as soon as the temp becomes out of range, it moves to a position where it can operate longer.
Now for an example:
Imagine a split system air conditioning compressor motor that can move on rails around the corner of a house. In very hot temperatures it will move towards the cooler regions around the corner in the shade. In very cold conditions, it will move to a warmer part of the exterior. Remember, this is do-able and relatively easy to implement.
The Learning aspect:
Now let us give the machine the ability to store its own movement data based on time, days, months. It can now 'predict' where it can go and does so much earlier. It can move to a better position for better efficiency and it gives itself a +1 for purpose-of-being. It can even do statistical operations on the probability that a certain location at a certain time would be better for it.
Now give it the internet.
What machine intelligence is needed before it can work out how to log into a weather forecasting service? Although it can monitor local wind speed and temperature and find the optimal position all the time, it can also determine if the house/structure inhabited, determine power draw and communicate with other 'house A.I.' to route warmth and cool to inhabited areas.
But the big question is to hard code the weather service. Supposing it goes down? Can it find another? What other services would it require? Maybe we can get the House A.I. to crawl the net or Cortana/Siri to find an alternative or maybe associative services we have not considered when the machine was first set up.
As long as it knows that the new service may/would give it a +1 - or prevent it from getting a -1
So 'preservation' drives this machine and it has a sense of purpose.