<i>A Review of</i> Introduction to Digital Humanism: A Textbook

While machines have made humans smarter and more efficient, constant dependence on machines has made mankind neglect the most essential being of their existence: their humanity. In an attempt to build a framework through which humans can build, regulate, and develop technology for the larger human good, digital humanists promote human rights, democracy, and inclusion by suggesting adequate development policies for ever-evolving digital technologies. In a similar light, Introduction to Digital Humanism: A Textbook, edited by Werthner et al., attempts to emphasize the role of the human in creating technologies and the need to harness the creator’s control by developing technologies that are aligned with human ethics. Written in simple language and lucid tone, with adequate examples and case studies, the textbook is divided into three parts.The first part of the book, “Background,” aims to familiarize its readers with the context that led to the emergence of Digital Humanism. The philosophical, cultural, technological, historical, social, and economic dimensions of the digital sphere have been laid out to emphasize the importance of adding the dimension of humanism to the existing framework. In the first chapter of the book, “Humanism and Enlightenment,” Nida-Rümelin and Winter (2024, 4) discuss how the self-development core of humanism is connected to the rationale of Enlightenment, which is the rationality of thought and action, and how, in the digital age, the human drive to “dare to know” (4) should not come at the cost of surrendering their freedom to think and act independently of machines. Rationality is accompanied by accountability, and humans must remain accountable for their actions in the long run.Building on the political dimension of philosophical humanism, Enrico Nardelli (2024), in his essay “No Digital Citizens Without Digital Humanism,” brings in the political dimension of philosophical humanism by outlining the issue of accessibility of digital developments in the current world. He states how digital technology is overcoming spatiotemporal barriers but is creating a larger digital divide, thus reducing the actual social impact of digital technologies and accompanying developments. His solution to make Informatics (a domain of information processes and phenomena to study interlinkages between technology, society, and nature) a mandatory subject in school, so that children learn from a young age to “collaborate and integrate” (104) within digital society, highlights how it is pertinent to the ethics of digital use by children from the foundational years to bring a positive impact in society. Part one of the book concludes with an essay by Hannes Werthner (2024, 115), who puts forward a proactive approach of digital humanism that integrates technical and social innovations. He explains how market forces have transformed users of technology into unconscious, fearful consumers of a product that has the power to control their actions. He proposes a “digital plurality” that requires participation and augmentation of human capabilities for technological advancements.Part two of the book, “Digital Humanism: A System’s View,” aims to sensitize readers to digital humanism concerns in the current digital system. The opening chapter traces the evolution of Artificial Intelligence from symbolic AI processes (that generate solution steps to the computer-listed problem), to the use of propositional logic (that seeks solutions to the problem through connectives), and finally to Machine Learning. By using historical and scientific impetus, the chapter explains how, through simple logical algorithms, AI was developed to generate human thinking, thus offering them freedom to divert their attention to other important things, a plan that took a 360-degree turn in the present scenario. The chapter unveils how AI relies on hidden human labor, with underpaid workers labeling content throughout the day, thus taking technology away from being honest, helpful, and harmless to all. Adding to the discussion, Lee (2024), in his chapter “Are We in Control?,” introduces the concept of “Digital Creationism.” He states how every technology is the outcome of an intentional human decision, and the decision that prioritizes individual profit over concern for its societal effects must be substituted with a process of Digital Co-evolution that believes in a benefit-for-all policy.The Digital Divide phenomenon has been expanded further by Bon et al. (2024) in their chapter. The contributing authors assert that there is a disparity between countries, regions, people, and their access to digital services. Focusing on the 2019 Viena Manifesto for Digital Humanism, which outlines the significance of ethics and humanism as an antidote to technocratic practices (284), the authors presented a case study of successful implementation of mobile money in Africa to pinpoint how participation by local people, attempts to overcome local barriers, and context-specific ownership of data can formulate an inclusive digital society. The concluding chapter of part two propounds the conscious use of Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and the Internet of Things (IoT) for an organization’s data protection, trust, and ethical use.The final part of the book, “Critical and Societal Issues of Digital Systems,” discusses the societal implications of the advances in digital technologies. Sunimal Mendis (2024) discusses the issues related to copyright enforcement on social media platforms. He points out how the Terms of Service (ToS) that are accepted by users are enforced through the process of content moderation (473), which hinders user freedom. While social media platforms facilitate the sharing of content, their regulatory supervision often “manipulates public opinion” (496) through nudging, herding, and polarizing selective thoughts. Parker and Van Alstyne (2024) further add the economic angle to the social media platforms’ functioning by pointing out how fixing a fee on social media platforms lets platform owners control participation and monetize the effect: an effect that should be reduced through free networking structure and socio-legal platform governance norms.The trendiest systems in the digital space, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models like Chat GPT, are discussed by Rotenberg (2024) in “Human Rights Alignment: The Challenge Ahead for AI Lawmakers.” He states how the intelligence mechanism of Artificial Intelligence should integrate cultural, legal, and sociotechnical facets while processing information and the need for an efficient and resilient technology that can assist people working in partnership with the developed systems. The need to create “human adjacent technology” rather than “anthropomorphic technology” is highlighted throughout the book, and the motive reaches its fruition with the idea that human-centered technology that offers safety, justice, and social foundation to its users is what the digital space wants from its users in the present times. Readers of the book are successfully motivated to understand the significance of Digital Humanism and evaluate its need and usage in a life dominated by technological help from self-created machines and reliance on social media platforms for formulating connections. A fairly new yet relevant topic has been discussed extensively by editors and contributors, thus making this book a productive read for those who do tech-driven work.