Maria Federica Norelli

Biography

I am a PhD candidate in Philosophy at Northeastern University London. My research lies at the intersection of philosophy of science and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on the epistemology of machine learning and the role of AI systems in scientific discovery. I investigate how machine learning models generate, justify, and generalize knowledge, and what their use implies for traditional philosophical accounts of explanation, theory formation, and scientific methodology.

My work also examines the epistemic status of highly complex models such as deep neural networks, including questions about sparsity, generalization, and the interpretability of machine-learning systems. More broadly, I am interested in how computational tools reshape scientific practice and what this means for the philosophy of science.

Alongside my research, I have taught as a Seminar Leader for Introduction to Logic at Northeastern University London, where I facilitated small-group seminars supporting undergraduate students in developing skills in formal reasoning, including truth tables, propositional and predicate logic, and structured argument analysis. I aim to create an interactive learning environment that encourages analytical thinking and engagement with philosophical problems.

My academic background combines philosophy of science with an interest in computational and data-driven approaches to philosophical questions, particularly where artificial intelligence intersects with scientific methodology. I can be contacted at m.norelli@northeastern.edu.