{
  "id": 3800218,
  "title": "Culture and ethics meets tech: UCLA debuts country’s first bachelor’s in digital humanities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/culture-and-ethics-meets-tech-ucla-debuts-countrys-first-bachelors-in-3800218",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-27T18:53:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/ucla-bachelors-degree-digital-humanities-f883a7194e362616456bd3da4758260c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "UCLA is set to unveil the first of its kind bachelor's degree in digital humanities this fall, merging classical humanities with technical expertise to study a digitized, AI-infused world. The interdisciplinary approach incorporates technological tools like statistical analysis, coding, 3D mapping, and data visualization with traditional subjects such as history, literature, and global cultures. The primary goal is to equip students with the ability to think critically and harness new technology, a demand increasingly sought by employers. Digital humanities requires significant teamwork among students, a skill highly valued by potential employers.\n\nTodd Presner, a UCLA professor and co-leader in the creation of the digital humanities department, highlighted the growing divide between computational and traditional humanities. He emphasized that ignoring the other side can render them both irrelevant. Presner has taught a course on decoding large language models, which power AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT. He demonstrated how students can upload their own data to these models to understand their susceptibility to manipulation.\n\nSince 2004, UCLA students have had the option to minor in digital humanities, which has become the second most popular minor at the university. This year, the major will be officially launched, with expectations of 50 to 100 students declaring it, marking a substantial increase from previous years. The university's dean, Alexandra Minna Stern, noted that digital humanities is the second-most popular minor, making it a logical step to convert it into a major.",
  "summary": "UCLA is launching the nation’s first digital humanities department and bachelor’s degree this fall. The new discipline combines classical humanities with technical know-how to examine a digitized…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Culture and ethics meets tech: UCLA debuts country’s first bachelor’s in digital humanities",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/culture-and-ethics-meets-tech-ucla-debuts-countrys-first-bachelors-in",
        "published": "2026-08-27T18:49:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}