UVA School of Data Science Names Chirag Agarwal as Baugh Family Fellow
The University of Virginia School of Data Science has named assistant professor Chirag Agarwal, DTD Lab faculty affiliate, as the 2026 Baugh Family Fellow, recognizing his contributions to advancing research at the intersection of data science, security, and artificial intelligence.
Students, Power, and Technology
In a new article, DTD Lab faculty co-lead Mona Sloane, alumna Ella Duus, and previous faculty co-lead Bertrall Ross, propose Student Technology Councils - elected student bodies with a formal role in technology innovation, governance, and policy - as a new model for addressing risks of declining technology procurement, innovation, and regulatory outcomes.
The Need for Transnational Perspectives on the Social, Legal and Environmental Impact of Artificial Intelligence
A new outcome report of the UN Internet Governance Forum Data and Artificial Intelligence Governance Coalition features a contribution co-authored by Jess Reia, DTD Lab faculty co-lead, highlighting perspectives of the Global South, diverse regional solutions, and impact on human rights, labor, and global power asymmetries.
When Influencers Delegate Replies: How Social AI Agents Shape User Engagement
A new paper co-authored by DTD Lab faculty co-lead, Steven Johnson, introduces the concept of "Social AI Agents" — LLM-powered proxies that respond on behalf of an individual, serving as a delegated extension of a real person's social identity.
How AI can lead to false arrests and wrongful convictions
AI algorithms such as facial recognition systems produce probabilities, not facts. In this recent article, DTD Lab postdoc Maria Lungu and faculty co-lead Steve Johnson examine how errors in AI tools can contribute to wrongful arrests.
Podcast highlights Media Rurality
Megan Wiessner, DTD Lab postdoc, joins fellow contributors on a recent episode of the New Books Network podcast to discuss Media Rurality - an investigation of the centrality of rural places and people within the media systems and technologies that shape daily life in and across rural and urban settings.
Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation’s Global Programs of Distinction Grant
Jess Reia, DTD Lab faculty co-lead, has recently received a grant from the UVA Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation’s Global Programs of Distinction to support their Data in the Dark project - a collaboration between researchers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Who Draws the Line Online? The Global Fight Over Misinformation
Countries worldwide are increasingly raising urgent questions about how far state power should extend in shaping social media without undermining the democratic freedoms they are trying to protect. David Nemer, DTD Lab faculty co-lead, explains that in Brazil, misinformation is a symptom of broader democratic fragility.
It’s Been Centuries Since Haiti’s Revolution. It’s Still Paying for It.
In a recent essay, DTD Lab director, Laurent Dubois, reflects broadly on how contemporary media representations that circulate in digital form are anchored in much longer histories.
UVA research finds young adults rely on social media for financial advice
A new report launched recently in a webinar co-hosted by the DTD Lab, finds young people are increasingly turning to social media for financial guidance.
