True Digital Poiesis: A Conceptual Framework and Interface Design for Generative AI in the Humanities

Abstract

This article introduces True Digital Poiesis (TDP), a conceptual pedagogical framework and proposed interface design for engaging generative AI in the Humanities. Drawing on experiential learning theory and grounded in the humanistic preoccupation with alterity — the otherness of history — TDP proposes the use of AI to simulate premodern events while foregrounding the active interpretive effort involved in constructing the past. The framework envisions the design of a digital prompt-builder, the Event Cruncher Stylus (ECS), and a structured critical review process, both of which are designed to support student engagement with the complexities of historical construction. In presenting the theoretical foundation, practical applications, and interface design of TDP, this article argues that precise and responsible use of AI in historical simulation — ranging from non-immersive to fully immersive simulative modes — requires a systematic, embodied method for engaging the alterity of the past. As a conceptual proposal grounded in hermeneutic theory and experiential learning research, TDP is presented here as a framework whose empirical evaluation through classroom implementation and outcome assessment is a primary objective of ongoing and future research.