digital humanities

Le Parisien reports that Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's digital transformation minister, is backing a new project to deploy an 'army of robots' on the battlefield, intended to replace human soldiers at the front. The initiative reflects Ukraine's growing push into autonomous and remotely operated ground systems as the war with Russia continues and manpower pressures mount.

Le Parisien reports that Ukraine's digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov is pushing a new strategy to deploy an "army of robots" on the front lines, aiming to replace human soldiers with ground machines and reduce casualties in the war against Russia. The plan highlights Kyiv's growing reliance on unmanned and autonomous systems to offset manpower shortages.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have grown living human skin on a robotic finger, a bioengineering milestone reported by tech media. The cultured skin, built from human cells, covers the robotic digit and could one day give robots a lifelike appearance and touch sensitivity, with applications also envisioned in cosmetics testing and regenerative medicine.

A joint stakeholder report on human rights in the digital context in Uganda has been submitted for the country's Universal Periodic Review at the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council process. The report, compiled by civil society groups led by the Association for Progressive Communications, assesses Uganda's record on internet freedom, digital expression and online rights ahead of the review.

Uganda's human rights situation in the digital sphere is the focus of a new summary by the Association for Progressive Communications, which examines how rights such as privacy, free expression and access to information are affected online. The organisation highlights growing concerns over digital surveillance, internet restrictions and the treatment of activists and journalists in the country.

UNESCO is asking how human rights can be strengthened in the digital age, a question covering issues such as online freedom of expression, privacy, data protection and access to information. The discussion points to growing concern that existing rights frameworks have not kept pace with rapid technological change, and that governments, tech companies and civil society need clearer rules to protect people online.

A legal commentator argues that privacy should not be framed through property rights, since privacy does not fit neatly into ownership models. Instead, the post suggests modelling privacy protections on the international human rights system, which offers alternative frameworks for protecting personal autonomy and dignity. The argument touches on ongoing debates about data protection, surveillance, and how law should conceptualise personal information in the digital age.

AI video company Tavus has introduced Griffin, a conversational video model it says is realistic enough to pass a video Turing test. The announcement is drawing attention to how closely AI-generated humans now resemble real people on camera, and to what that means for trust in video, digital identity and online deception.

A Daily Bruin opinion piece argues that UCLA's digital humanities major should take a leading role in countering bias in artificial intelligence and shaping how the technology is developed responsibly. It contends that humanities training equips students to question datasets, framing and ethics in AI systems. The piece calls for the program to engage more directly with emerging technology debates.

A new article explores modular industrial dashboards, the physical control panels engineers used to monitor machinery and processes before computer screens took over. The piece documents how these panel-based interfaces were designed, assembled and read, drawing interest from readers nostalgic for pre-digital technology and those studying the history of human-computer interaction and industrial design.

A new article explores the design of industrial dashboards before pixel-based screens, when instruments relied on modular analog components. The piece looks at how engineers assembled dials, switches and displays into control panels, offering a historical perspective on human-machine interfaces. Design and technology enthusiasts are sharing the article, drawing parallels between these earlier systems and modern interface design.

The Center for Democracy and Technology has announced Bread & Net 2026, a digital rights gathering running under the theme Realities Reimagined. The event, long a meeting point for researchers, activists and policymakers working on technology and human rights in the Middle East and North Africa, is expected to address emerging tech, censorship and online freedoms. Further details on dates, speakers and participation have not yet been shared.

An artist working in collage has created a surreal piece showing sleeping men giving birth to a 'computer-boy', assembled with glue, microchips and circuit boards. The work blends human and machine imagery, touching on themes of technology and reproduction, and is being shared among digital art communities.

The UN Human Rights Council has opened its 63rd session, with human rights in the digital sphere among the topics under discussion. Digital rights advocates, including the Association for Progressive Communications, are highlighting how states address issues such as internet freedom, surveillance and online expression during the session. Observers expect resolutions and debates on how technology affects rights protections worldwide.

Developers are highlighting a quirk of X.509 digital certificates: the validity period is the only field represented as human-readable text, while everything else is strictly DER-encoded binary. The point being made is that a strict DER parser effectively needs calendar logic, not just clock logic, to handle dates correctly. The observation has drawn attention among programmers working in Python, fintech and cryptography, who see it as a neat example of how messy real-world standards can be.

Brands are adjusting how they market products as artificial intelligence agents increasingly shop on behalf of consumers. Instead of pitching to human shoppers with emotional advertising, companies are optimizing product data and descriptions so AI assistants can find, evaluate and recommend their goods, a shift with significant implications for e-commerce and digital marketing.

The Association for Progressive Communications is highlighting Bread&Net and its approach to the holistic protection of women human rights defenders. The initiative addresses digital and broader security needs of women activists, particularly in the MENA region, framing their protection as encompassing online safety, wellbeing and organisational support rather than technical fixes alone. Discussions centre on how such gatherings strengthen networks and safety strategies for women defending human rights.

An artist is sharing a glowing 3D orb rendered in Bryce, the retro ray-tracing software popular in the 1990s, tagging it with #noai and #neverslop. The post taps into ongoing debate among digital artists over human-made versus AI-generated imagery, with retro rendering tools being held up as examples of authentic craft.

Hundreds of educators gathered for NYSUT's 'Unplugged' conference, which examined the growing role of technology in classrooms. Sessions focused on how schools can harness digital tools while keeping teaching, learning and human connection at the forefront. The event reflects ongoing debate among teachers over balancing edtech adoption with face-to-face instruction.

New digital finance research is examining how human psychology, algorithmic decision-making, and financial risk interact in modern markets. The work, covered by Phys.org, aims to map how behavioural factors and automated systems together shape outcomes for investors and financial institutions in an increasingly digital economy.

Safeworld is developing digital humans to test and train generative AI-powered robots before they interact with people, aiming to ensure the machines do not harm humans. The open question is whether the public will trust the company's assurance that these robots are safe. Observers are watching whether the approach can ease growing anxiety about AI systems operating in the physical world.

Logitech has released its Ctrl Tomorrow Study, which examines how technology affects people's mood, wellbeing, performance and potential. The findings were announced via press release, covering how digital tools shape daily life and productivity. The company has not yet detailed specific results, but the study is positioned as part of its work on the future of work and human-technology interaction.

The Vatican has announced the theme for the next World Day of Social Communications, focusing on the pitfalls of the 'attention economy' — the business model in which tech platforms compete to capture and monetise human attention. The choice signals Pope Francis's ongoing concern with how digital media shapes public discourse, empathy and truth, continuing his criticism of manipulative online practices.

Global Voices is examining how digital connectivity can translate into genuine collective power, exploring the gap between online connection and real-world action. The piece reflects ongoing debate among rights advocates over whether internet access and online organising can deliver tangible social and political change for communities worldwide.

The Vatican has announced the theme for the Pope's next World Communications Day, focusing on the pitfalls of the 'attention economy' — the business model in which platforms compete to capture and monetise people's focus. The choice signals the Catholic Church's continued concern over how digital media shapes human attention, relationships and truth, and it is prompting reflection among Catholic communicators and media observers.