Vygotsky meets artificial intelligence: a cultural-historical perspective on the epistemological foundations of AI / Vygotski se encuentra con la inteligencia artificial: una perspectiva histórico-cultural sobre los fundamentos epistemológicos de la IA

Abstract

This paper revisits Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory to address key epistemological challenges in artificial intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on the question of AI’s subject matter and research methodology. It critically engages with the long-standing debate between symbolic and connectionist approaches, examining AI’s epistemological underpinnings through the lens of Vygotsky’s insights. Until recently, the cultural-historical nature of human cognitive processes and the socio-historical embeddedness of AI technologies have remained largely unexplored areas in AI research, representing a terra incognita for the field. By addressing these neglected dimensions, this paper argues that Vygotsky’s theory provides valuable resources for rethinking AI’s epistemological and methodological foundations.