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
Upcoming Events
Why Jefferson Matters in Our Information Age
Friday, November 13, 2026 • 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM EST
Edgar Shannon Library, 160 McCormick Rd., Seminar Room 330
What AI Means for Work and Democracy
Monday, November 16, 2026 • 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST
The Miller Center, 2201 Old Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA & ONLINE
Research & Programming
Digital Democracy from Below
Taking Tech Back
AI Impact Atlas
Subterranean Convergence
Open-Source AI as Democratic Infrastructure
AI Shock
Automated Futures
Multimodal Climate AI
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
Digital Democracy from Below: Resisting AI and Techno-solutionism
Learn More & Download
DTD Lab Welcomes New Postdocs & Faculty Affiliate
Meet the Lab
Reimagining AI for Environmental Justice & Creativity Collection of Essays
Learn More & Download
Insights from the Visual Generative AI Propaganda Convening
Learn More & Download
Video Library
FLiNG Report Launch: How Finfluencers, Fin-Tech, and FOMO Shape Young Adults’ Financial Well-being
Cryptocurrency & Democracy
In the News
In the AI Era, Language is Now an Attack Surface
In a new piece, Matthew Kirschenbaum, DTD Lab faculty affiliate, warns that because AI tools now read and respond to online text automatically, everyday language has become a dangerous new gateway for hackers to exploit and control digital systems.
From One Year to 12 Hours: UVA Biocomplexity Institute Showcases Three Decades of Digital Twin Innovation
A new interactive dashboard demonstrates how researchers create synthetic populations, connect people through their daily activities, and use computational representations to investigate real-world challenges. The Biocomplexity Institute is exploring how societal digital twins can help researchers understand the potential effects of AI on employment and workforce transitions as part of a DTD Lab grant-funded project, the AI Impact Atlas.
As AI Agents Advance, New Fellowship Backs UVA Safety Research
Mace AI, an AI security company based in Miami, is funding a doctoral student at UVA’s Aikyam Lab whose research will focus on AI interpretability, explainability, safety, and trustworthiness. “The fellowship reflects growing recognition of UVA’s leadership in AI safety and alignment research,” said Chirag Agarwal, head of the Aikyam Lab and DTD Lab faculty affiliate.
Join our vibrant lab and help us explore the intersection of digital technology and democracy.
Current Opportunities