The book “Introduction to Digital Humanism”, initiated at TU Wien Informatics, has reached an extraordinary milestone: one million downloads worldwide. This achievement highlights the global resonance of the Digital Humanism initiative that began at TU Wien and has since attracted strong international attention. A SpringerLink representative states that only a few of their titles are comparable in terms of downloads over a given timeline, the score comparing to major reference works, like encyclopedias.

“Introduction to Digital Humanism” is an open-access textbook that defines and explores Digital Humanism from multiple disciplines. Inspired by the 2019 Vienna Manifesto, it examines how digital technologies and society interact and how this relationship can be shaped to support human rights and a better society. The book provides philosophical, technological, social, and economic perspectives, discusses key challenges such as AI autonomy, privacy, security, governance, fairness, and highlights their broader societal implications. Designed for students, educators, and policymakers alike, it aims to foster interdisciplinary understanding and encourage human-centered approaches to the digital future.

Our thanks go out to the editors, authors, and co-authors, without whom the publication of these books would not have been possible. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Hannes Werthner, who has initiated, supported, and promoted the Digital Humanism Initiative from day one, and to you, our readers: without your interest, this book would not have achieved its success.

You can access and download a digital copy of both Digital Humanism books for free on the Springer website.

About Digital Humanism

Technology profoundly shapes the world we live in, and the stakes are high. Digital Humanism deals with digital technology development and policies based on human rights, democracy, inclusion, and diversity. The Digital Humanism Initiative is an international collaboration seeking to build a community of scholars, policymakers, and industrial players who are focused on ensuring that technology development remains centered on human interests. If you want to know more about the initiative and catch up on all the latest news and upcoming events, you can visit the Digital Humanism website.

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