Towards a Manifesto for Cyber Humanities: Paradigms, Ethics, and Prospects

Humanistic inquiry must actively shape algorithmic systems: Rather than passively accepting digital infrastructures, the paper argues that humanities scholars should critically examine and reimagine the algorithmic systems influencing culture and collective memory, positioning humanistic perspectives as essential to responsible AI development.

Ethical design should be foundational, not an afterthought: The Manifesto emphasizes "Ethics-by-Design" as a core principle, suggesting that ethical considerations must be integrated into digital systems from the ground up rather than added later, reflecting a proactive approach to responsible technology.

Human-centered approaches must guide digital knowledge systems: The framework prioritizes "human-centered AI" and "participatory knowledge systems," indicating that technology should be designed around human needs and values rather than treating humans as secondary to computational efficiency.

Digital practices need sustainability and sovereignty considerations: The paper introduces concepts of "sustainable digital practices" and "digital sovereignty," suggesting that responsible AI requires attention to long-term environmental and social impacts, as well as ensuring communities maintain control over their own digital systems and data.

A new paradigm is needed for the computational age: The paper proposes "Cyber Humanities" as a foundational shift—not merely an extension of existing digital humanities work—indicating that entirely new frameworks for thinking about technology, culture, and knowledge are necessary as digital systems become increasingly central to society.