An inductionless and default-based analysis of machine learning procedures

It has been suggested that AI investigations of mechanical learning undermine sweeping anti-inductivist views in the theory of knowledge and the philosophy of science. Contrary to this view, we argue that no trace of epistemically jus- tified induction is to be found within a rather representative class of learning agents and we outline an alternative deductive account of these learning procedures. Finally, the opportunity of developing an induction-free logical analysis of reasoning processes involved in learning machines is emphasized by a broad reflection on some families of non-monotonic, albeit deductive, consequence relations. Keywords: Induction,machine learning, behavior-based robotics, non-monotonic consequence relations, artificial intelligence.