The Digital Technology for Democracy Lab is a collaboration across the University of Virginia that explores how rapidly evolving digital technologies can challenge, but might also fortify, democratic institutions and practices.
Pioneering transdisciplinary research to explore democracy in the digital age
Our Focus
Research & Programming
Data in the Dark
Automation’s Ecologies
Visual Misinformation
AI & the Environment
Student Technology Council
Technology & Disinformation
Social Contagions
Gender & Tech
Co-Opting AI
Urban Digital Twins
Technology & Democracy Exchange
Data Center Policies
Descendant-Led Digital Humanities Lab & Network
Cryptocurrency & Democracy
Trending
DTD Lab Welcomes New Postdocs & Faculty Affiliate
Meet the Lab
Reimagining AI for Environmental Justice & Creativity Collection of Essays
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Insights from the Visual Generative AI Propaganda Convening
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Video Library
FLiNG Report Launch: How Finfluencers, Fin-Tech, and FOMO Shape Young Adults’ Financial Well-being
Cryptocurrency & Democracy
In the News
Data Science Team Receives $70,000 Environmental Institute CoLab Grant
UVA Data Science research team received a $70,000 Environmental Institute grant to develop AI climate models that incorporate community knowledge for local decision-making.
From Climate AI to Post-Flood Health Risks: UVA Funds New Environmental Research Projects
Congratulations to DTD Lab members Mona Sloane, Chirag Agarwal, and Aashka Dave, who are among the team recipients of a $70k CoLab grant from UVA's Environmental Institute for a new interdisciplinary project, "Community Climate Knowledge and Multimodal Climate AI”. CoLab grants support projects that represent novel and interdisciplinary approaches required to address some of the most pressing climate crises with high potential for societal impact.
A Brazilian Startup Is Betting on AI to Fight Crime. Critics See a Surveillance State
Jess Reia, DTD Lab faculty co-lead, provided expert perspective on the risks of AI-enabled surveillance, noting that systems like Gabriel can support broader surveillance networks and may be vulnerable to misuse, emphasizing the importance of accountability and safeguards when deploying public safety technologies.
Join our vibrant lab and help us explore the intersection of digital technology and democracy.
Current Opportunities