Could machine learning produce a "simple" AI algorithm that performs better than what a human programmer could create in a reasonable amount of time?

Let me clarify what I'm asking through an example:

Artificial Intelligence in videogames has failed to develop in any meaningful way over the past two decades, at least as far as the typical end-user is concerned, and nowhere is this more apparent than in strategy games. Whether we're talking about the 90's or today, AI opponents typically have to receive significant cheats in order to provide a challenging experience for the player. This is widely considered undesirable, can harm immersion …

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