Vygotsky meets artificial intelligence: a cultural-historical perspective on the epistemological foundations of AI

• Manolis Dafermos ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Crete

     University of Crete

     Dimos Heraklion, Grecia

     
• Localización: Culture and Education, Cultura y Educación, ISSN-e 1578-4118, ISSN 1135-6405, Vol. 38, Nº 1 (marzo), 2026, págs. 26-54
• Idioma: inglés
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Vygotski se encuentra con la inteligencia artificial: una perspectiva histórico-cultural sobre los fundamentos epistemológicos de la IA
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• Resumen
  • español

    Este artículo revisa la teoría histórico-cultural de Vygotski para abordar dificultades epistemológicas clave en la inteligencia artificial (IA), con un enfoque particular en la cuestión del objeto de estudio de la IA y la metodología de investigación. Se aborda críticamente el debate de larga data entre los enfoques simbólico y conexionista, examinando las bases epistemológicas de la IA a través de la perspectiva de las ideas de Vygotski. Hasta hace poco, la naturaleza histórico-cultural de los procesos cognitivos humanos y la integración sociohistórica de las tecnologías de IA han permanecido como áreas en gran medida inexploradas en la investigación de IA, representando una terra incognita para el campo. Al abordar estas dimensiones descuidadas, este artículo sostiene que la teoría de Vygotski proporciona recursos valiosos para repensar los fundamentos epistemológicos.

  • English

    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.

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