AI, Medieval Philosophy & The Nature of Human Intelligence - Dr. Roi Yozevitch | Ep 236

In this episode of The Iferia TechCast, Ezekiel Iferia sits down with Dr. Roi Yozevitch, Assistant Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Head of the Applied AI Lab at Ariel University, and scholar of medieval philosophy. Dr. Yozevitch bridges cutting-edge machine learning research with ancient philosophical frameworks, exploring how Aristotle's four causes and Maimonides' rational ethics illuminate modern debates around machine cognition. We examine whether large language models truly possess "understanding," why a strictly materialistic neuroscience challenges the concept of free will, and how ancient traditions like the Sabbath offer essential mental models for combating digital overload.   In this episode, you’ll discover: ·         The Form vs. Purpose Divide: How modern science neglected Aristotelian purpose and why AI forces its return.   ·         Kahneman’s Two Systems in AI: Why machine learning solves experiential, rule-free tasks that traditional software could not.   ·         Does AI Truly "Understand"?: Testing flexible knowledge and pedagogical explanation against human benchmarks.   ·         Rational Ethics & AI Alignment: Applying Maimonides to examine why ethics cannot be deduced purely from logic.   ·         The Neuroscience of Free Will: The physical paradox of neural determinism versus conscious agency.   ·         Digital Sabbath & Mental Focus: Utilizing intentional disconnection to preserve human cognition amid rapid technological cycles.   Connect with Dr. Roi Yozevitch: ·         YouTube Channel: Search "Roi Yozevitch" (check out the English-language playlist)   ·         Academic Research: Search "Roi Yozevitch" on Google Scholar   ·         Official Platform: http://yozevitch.com   Want to Be a Guest on The Iferia TechCast? • Connect with Ezekiel on PodMatch: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailprevie...   Support the show: https://iferia.nestuge.com/supportme Chapter Timestamps 00:00 Welcome Dr. Roi Yozevitch: Head of Applied AI Lab & Medieval Philosophy Scholar 01:54 Ancient Wisdom vs. Modern Science: Aristotle's Four Causes and the Question of Purpose 04:38 Kahneman’s Two Systems: Transitioning from Rule-Based Code to Experiential ML 09:02 The Nature of "Understanding": Flexible Knowledge, the Feynman Technique & LLMs 14:14 Rational Ethics in AI: Maimonides, Hume's Is-Ought Problem & Algorithmic Bias 19:53 Does Free Will Exist? The Materialist Neuroscience Paradox 24:01 Combating Digital Overload: The Practice of the Sabbath and Single-Tasking 27:24 Clinical Hopes for AI: Eradicating Blindness, Curing Disease & Neural Prosthetics 29:38 Redefining Innovation: Cross-Disciplinary Synthesis in Applied AI Labs 32:24 Connect with Dr. Roi Yozevitch & Explore His Research