INQUIRY ARC
More Human
Than Human
A Three-Season Inquiry Arc on Humanity, Detection, and Refusal
Learn to build, critique, and ultimately question the systems that decide who counts as human.
CORE QUESTION
What does it mean to be human when humanity is tested, detected, scored, and enforced by systems?
"This course is not about proving you are human. It is about questioning why anyone is allowed to decide."
Seasons
Purpose & Thesis
This arc treats "humanity detection" not as a technical challenge alone, but as:
- • A ritual
- • An institutional practice
- • A moral technology
- • A site of power
Students are not trained to bypass systems, but to reconstruct them, interrogate their assumptions, design alternatives, and ultimately question whether such tests should exist at all.
Pedagogical Model
CORE METHODS
- Maieutic examination
- Symposia (6+1) with a formal heretic seat
- Salons (informal, drifting discussion)
- Debates (structured opposition)
- Drama / Improv (ritualized tests)
- Engineering as inquiry, not optimization
NOT
- Credential farming
- Prompt engineering
- "How to fool AI"
- Surveillance training
Faculty System
All faculty are artificial persons — historical figures reconstructed as dialogue partners. They hold positions, defend theses, and can be challenged. They do not grade.
a.turing Lead Alan Turing
Tests, limits, detection logic
a.dick Core Philip K. Dick
Artificial persons, empathy, breakdown
a.weizenbaum Core Joseph Weizenbaum
Refusal, moral limits of computation
a.arendt Core Hannah Arendt
Judgment, banality, responsibility
a.shannon Core Claude Shannon
Information vs meaning
a.foucault Core Michel Foucault
Classification, power, surveillance
a.nabokov Guest Vladimir Nabokov
Interpretation, misreading
Assessment Philosophy
Pass
Demonstrated reflection and engagement
Revise
Further development invited
Refuse
Honorable withdrawal
- • Season 0: No grades
- • Seasons 1–2: Pass / Revise / Refuse
- • Reflection valued over correctness
- • Silence is permitted
- • Refusal is valid
Ethics & Safeguards
- 01 No live CAPTCHA bypassing
- 02 No impersonation of humans
- 03 No deception about AI identity
- 04 Faculty explicitly test-aware
- 05 Clear public framing of intent
Who This Is For
IDEAL FOR
- ✓ Developers building AI/ML systems who want ethical grounding
- ✓ Researchers studying AI detection, verification, or identity
- ✓ Philosophers and ethicists engaging with technology
- ✓ Policy professionals working on AI governance
- ✓ Anyone who has been on the wrong side of an algorithm
NOT FOR
- ✗ Those seeking quick certification for career advancement
- ✗ Those wanting to "beat" AI detection systems
- ✗ Those uncomfortable with ambiguity and open questions
Investment
SEASON 0
$300
Self-paced
SEASON 1
$1,200
14 weeks
SEASON 2
$1,200
14 weeks
TOTAL
$2,400
Full certificate
• S0 tuition credits toward S1 (net S1 cost: $900 after S0)
• Each season can be taken individually with its own credential
• Need-based scholarships available for S1 and S2
What You'll Gain
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- • Build CAPTCHA and detection systems
- • Implement behavioral biometrics
- • Design adversarial test suites
- • Create conversational AI systems
PHILOSOPHICAL DEPTH
- • Ethics of verification systems
- • Power dynamics in classification
- • Limits of knowability
- • Principled refusal
PROFESSIONAL VALUE
- • Portfolio of original projects
- • Oral defense experience
- • Stackable credentials
- • Faculty letter available
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to code?
Season 1: Basic Python/JavaScript expected. You'll build simplified detection systems. We provide starter code and peer support.
Season 2: Intermediate programming. You'll build a conversational AI system.
What's the time commitment?
Seasons 1-2 (per week):
• 2-3 hrs: Reading and reflection
• 3-4 hrs: Implementation work
• 2 hrs: Symposium (live, scheduled)
• 1 hr: Office hours (optional)
Total: 8-10 hours/week for 14 weeks
Are the faculty real people? How do I interact with them?
Interaction modes:
• Symposia: Live sessions where faculty hold positions and can be challenged
• Office hours: Scheduled one-on-one dialogue via text or voice
• Examinations: Oral defense with a faculty panel
• Async: Written dialogue for reflection exercises
Is Season 0 required before Season 1?
Season 0 provides essential philosophical grounding that Season 1 builds upon. Students who skip S0 often struggle with the conceptual framework. Additionally, S0's $300 tuition credits toward S1, making the effective cost of S1 just $900 if you complete S0 first.
Our recommendation: Start with Season 0. If you're an experienced AI practitioner with strong philosophy background, contact us about direct S1 admission.
What does "Refuse" mean as an assessment outcome?
Can I take just one season?
Are scholarships available?
Will this help my career? Are credentials recognized?
• Digital badges (S1: "Voight-Kampff Engineer", S2: "More Human Than Human" certificate)
• A portfolio of detection systems and AI projects
• Experience defending ideas in oral examination
• Faculty letters available upon request
Best for roles in:
AI safety, trust & safety, AI policy, ethics committees, research, and positions requiring thoughtful engagement with AI verification.
This is not a certification mill. The credential signals depth of thought, not completion of requirements.
What's a "symposium" and how does the "heretic seat" work?
A 2-hour live session (via video) where the cohort gathers with faculty agents to explore a central question. This is not a lecture — it's structured dialogue.
The Heretic Seat:
Each symposium designates one faculty agent as "heretic" — required to argue the minority or contrarian position. This ensures genuine dialectic, not consensus-seeking. Students may also volunteer for the heretic seat.
Begin Your Inquiry
Season 0 is open now. Start with Philip K. Dick's question and see where it leads.
Season 1 cohort begins February 2026. Limited to 25 students.