We submitted a FOIA before the Greek Ministry of Education for its Memorandum of Cooperation with OpenAI
At Homo Digitalis, we support the innovations brought by new technologies and believe that they can significantly contribute to the improvement of our society, provided that their use complies with the applicable legal framework and aims to promote and protect our rights and freedoms. We envision a better world, where the adoption of technological solutions is the result of critical thinking as well as informed and balanced decision-making.
In this light, we were concerned by the signing, on Friday, September 5, of the “OpenAI for Greece” Memorandum of Cooperation by the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports with OpenAI and other stakeholders, for the pilot use of the ChatGPT Edu tool by teachers and students in 20 high schools across the country.
How will teachers and students feel when asked to use tools provided by a company such as OpenAI, which has already been fined €15 million for violations of data protection legislation in Italy and is currently under investigation for possible violations in other countries, such as Austria?
And on what grounds are Artificial Intelligence systems based on proprietary software from US tech giants being prioritized over equivalent tools that could be developed with free and open-source software by research centers and institutions in Greece? Such a choice disregards the European Union’s strategy to strengthen openness, transparency, and technological sovereignty, and, in the case of widespread adoption, will inevitably lead to the dependency of our education system on proprietary software and foreign companies.
In light of the above, today we submitted (protocol number 108260/8/92025) before the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports a request for access to documents and information, in which we set out our concerns in detail and request access both to the Memorandum of Cooperation and to other related legal deliverables that should have been drawn up regarding the obligations arising from Law 4624/2019 and Law 4961/2022.
You can see our request here (EL).
We successfully participated at the panel "AI, Ethics & Family" at the event organized by the Leonteios School Network
Another proud moment! Our co-founder Stefanos Vitoratos and partner at Digital Law Experts (DLE) participated earlier the previous week, in the LeonteiosAI- Shaping the world of education Conference held at the iconic Acropolis Museum, as a Leonteios School Athens alumni and a member of the LeonteiosAI Committee!
Stefanos has contributed to the initiative on adopting AI as part of the school’s educational procedure. Heartfelt thanks to the organizers and committee members for assembling such an inspiring and forward-thinking group of professionals.
Homo Digitalis is member of UNESCO's Global AI Ethics & Governance Observatory
We are very pleased to announce that Homo Digitalis has been selected as a member of UNESCO’s Global AI Ethics & Governance Observatory!
Homo Digitalis is the only member of the network from Greece, once again highlighting our strong expertise and experience on these issues since the very first months of our founding, back in 2018!
You can learn more about the organizations participating in the network and its activities here.
Homo Digitalis participates in the panel "AI, Ethics & Family" at the Artificial Intelligence event of the Leonteios School Network
Homo Digitalis is delighted to take part in the panel “AI, Ethics & Family” during the event organized by the Leonteios School Network, titled “LeonteiosAI – Shaping the Future of Learning.”
Stefanos Vitoratos, Co-Founder of Homo Digitalis and Partner at the law firm Digital Law Experts (DLE), is representing us at the event.
Our fellow panelists include representatives from key institutions, including the Minister of Social Cohesion and Family, Ms. Domna Michailidou.
The event will take place at the Acropolis Museum (Amphitheater “Dimitrios Pandermalis”) on April 8, 2025.
Successful Awareness-Raising Activities in Larissa during February – March
A series of important awareness-raising activities were successfully carried out in Larissa during the February–March period. Our member, Tasos Arampatzis, represented Homo Digitalis with great success by voluntarily leading several awareness and educational initiatives in the region.
In particular, in collaboration with Frosso Ktistaki — PhD holder and piano professor — they delivered an educational presentation on the theme Cybersecurity, Music, and Human Emotions. Within this context, they discussed the human factor in cybersecurity, the impact of personal data breaches, and how music can serve as a helpful tool. The event took place at Pyrgetos High School on February 24.
Additionally, at the end of March, Tasos represented Homo Digitalis in presentations to 5th and 6th grade students of two co-located primary schools in Larissa — the 15th and 43rd Primary Schools. The topic of the presentations was cyberbullying.
Read the Pocket Guide on Protecting Your Privacy During Protests
Today, Friday, February 28, marks two years since the Tempi train tragedy. Strikes and work stoppages have been organized across Greece and abroad to honor the memory of the 57 victims, demand justice, and hold those responsible accountable.
But what about your devices and personal data? How can you take steps to protect them during a protest?
Homo Digitalis, in collaboration with Software Makers, a nonprofit organization based in Heraklion, Crete, has translated and adapted the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s (EFF) Pocket Guide to Greek legal and practical realities. The guide provides essential steps to take before, during, and after a protest to help you safeguard both yourself and your data.
We stand in solidarity and offer our unwavering support!
The guide is available for download and printing here.
Homo Digitalis is participating in the online informational event organized by Project Parenting
Are screens bad, or are we just using them wrong?
Homo Digitalis is honored to participate once again in the digital conference organized by Project Parenting, dedicated to parents. The event takes place today, Wednesday, February 26, from 17:30 to 22:30!
At 21:40, Lamprini Gyftokosta will represent our team, speaking on the topic: “Cookies and Parental Controls: Filter the information you and your child share to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.”
Registrations are free, and you can still sign up to attend a series of insightful talks by experts on various important topics.
We Gave the Most Interesting Interview to the Students of the Nikaias Primary School in Larissa for Data Protection Day
One of the most delightful and wonderful ways we celebrated World Data Protection Day was the online interview given by Lamprini Giftokosta from our team to the fifth-grade class of Nikaias Primary School in Larissa on January 28th! The questions were MANY!!!… ranging from what personal data means, what we are celebrating today, to whether artificial intelligence has a mind, if it knows everything, or if it makes mistakes.
The interview took place as part of a school competition in which the young journalists are participating. We eagerly await the article they will publish and wish them the best of luck!!!
We sincerely thank the educator Vili Karayiorgou and the Nikaias Primary School in Larissa for the flawless cooperation in this initiative.