265 – Connectionist Versus Symbolist AI
From The IDEMS Podcast by IDEMS International
May 26, 2026 · 28 min
About this episode
David and Kate discuss the historical divide between Symbolist and Connectionist AI approaches and their implications for technology development.
David and Kate explore the historical divide between Symbolist and Connectionist approaches to AI, reflecting on how today’s dominant AI narratives emerged and what may have been lost along the way. They discuss the difference between expert systems built on structured human knowledge and data-driven learning systems based on neural networks, and consider the implications of each for governance, traceability, social impact, and responsible technology development. The conversation highlights how alternative approaches to AI may offer more practical and trustworthy pathways for addressing real-world challenges.
People in this episode
Host: David
Guest: Kate
Topics covered
- AI approaches
- Symbolist AI
- Connectionist AI
- expert systems
- neural networks
- technology governance
- social impact
Keywords
- AI
- Symbolist
- Connectionist
- expert systems
- neural networks
- governance
- social impact
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IDEMS International
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