“Humanities are academic disciplines in which humans seek understanding of human self-understandings and self-expressions, and of the ways in which people thereby construct and experience the world they live in.”
Our AI Police and Promise
Humanities
(Drees WB. What Are the Humanities? In: What Are the Humanities For?. Cambridge University Press; 2021:7-120.)
Piraeus is a community of learners and educators who are deeply committed to championing the Humanities — a field of study predicated on how humans “construct and experience the world,” NOT ROBOTS OR GENERATIVE MODELS.
As such, we have a zero tolerance policy regarding the use of AI both by our students and teachers.
All work submitted by students must be authentically their own. Large language models, such as Chat GPT and Claude, are not to be used by students for research, nor is the AI overview provided by many search engines (to include Google AI overview).
Piraeus students are required to conduct research via academically rigorous means: books, articles, academic journals, reputable news papers and magazines, all of which we will share with you and can be found online.
We understand that, in this rapidly changing academic climate, these may not be the research guidelines enforced by your child’s school. We understand that this sort of research is more challenging than merely clicking on sources presented by an AI overview. Our teachers are delighted to teach your child how to navigate these new expectations. We will devote class time to their adaptation.
We believe that developing the aptitude to conduct research manually is an essential skill which will provide your child with an increasingly rare, and valuable, life-long asset.
Thank you for taking the time to learn about our perspective on AI. We recognize that ours is a unique policy. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining the integrity of our academic enviornment.
Pizan, Christine de. Christine de Pizan in Her Study. 1410-1414, Harley MS 4431, fol. 4r, British Library, London. British Library Images, www.imagesonline.bl.uk/asset/15328/.
Reprucussions for using AI
We understand that this transition may be difficult, so we institute a month-long grace period for students to work AI out of their processes. Afterwards, we implement a 3 strike policy.
What to ExpectAny Piraeus student found to be using AI to preform research, composition, or editing tasks after the end of their grace period will face the following consequences.
Strike 1. Their next lesson will be about the ways in which AI stunts academic development in the humanities and harms our world writ large. Lesson topics include, but are not limited to, the enviornmental destruction posed by AI data centers, the social reprucussions of misinformation, and the threat of plagarism (all of which are perpetuated by the use of AI).
Strike 2. Students will be required to submit an additional essay detailing these problems, and a report outlining how they will cut AI out of their Piraeus work, and with what they will replace it.
Strike 3. Piraeus Academy will meet with parents to discuss violations of our policy. Piraeus Academy reserves the right to terminate our contract without a refund, at this stage.