Humlab at Umeå University

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Sverige
Umeå
Humlab at Umeå University

Humlab är en arbetsenhet och en forskningsinfrastruktur vid Humanistisk fakultet.

Vårt uppdrag att är att initiera, inspirera och utveckla samspelet mellan humaniora, kultur och informationsteknik inom forskning, forskarutbildning och undervisning.

26/09/2026

Thank you to Anabela Carvalho who presented, and everyone who joined us for this week’s Humlab Talk!

The talk explored how dominant discourses shape climate politics, while opening up a discussion about alternative sociotechnical and political imaginaries and their possibilities for social transformation and the redemocratization of climate politics.

The seminar was presented in collaboration with the Higher Seminar in Media and Communication Studies, Humlab and UTRI.

25/09/2026

Who gets to count as an expert in AI, and whose knowledge risks remaining invisible?

Yesterday’s panel, “Stakeholder engagement in relation to the development, use, and modification of AI,” explored the importance of involving different stakeholders throughout the development and use of AI. Employees, domain experts, organizations and those affected by AI all bring different experiences, knowledge and values. But whose perspectives are included, and whose might be overlooked?

Questions from the audience broadened the conversation beyond the organizational perspective, raising questions about whose voices are heard or silenced, how we navigate conflicting values, and ultimately, what role we want AI to play in society and in our everyday lives.

Moderator: Karin Danielsson
Panelists: Elisabeth M. Adams, Heather Wiltse & Parisima Alaie.

11/09/2026

The debate about companion robots often focuses on deception, anthropomorphism, and manipulation. But as robots come ever closer to our emotions, questions also arise about how new forms of intimacy can be designed responsibly. This was a theme highlighted by Hirofumi Katsuno, Professor at Doshisha University in Kyoto, during a recent Humlab Talk.

He researches human relationships with so-called “weak robots”, a term used to describe robots with limited technological capabilities.

“The simplicity of weak robots encourages people to form a relationship with the robot, as it gives a hook for active engagement,” says Hirofumi Katsuno.

For example, a child may enjoy correcting a robot that makes mistakes or says the wrong things. A robot with limited capabilities can even motivate people to pick up litter in the street or initiate conversations. It is precisely this vulnerability that can create a sense of closeness and intimacy.

The talk concluded with a long and lively discussion, as audience members from a wide range of disciplines drew connections between companion robots and their own fields of research.

A Swedish article about the talk is available at umu.se/humlab

29/06/2026

📢 CALL FOR PAPERS – DHNB 2027: HUMAN(ITIES) IN THE LOOP

The 2027 edition of the Digital Humanities in the Nordic and Baltic Countries (DHNB) conference will be hosted by Umeå University, March 1–5, 2027.

The special theme of DHNB2027 is Human(ities) in the Loop and draws on the concept of “human in the loop”, that highlights the role of humans in the workflow of AI technologies, but broadens the perspective to better include the important role that the humanities play in understanding historical, contemporary technological and societal systems. With this theme, we encourage contributions that explore the role of the humanities and social sciences and place them at the center of technological development, rather than the other way around.

📅 Conference dates: March 1–5, 2027 | 📍 Umeå, Sweden
🗓️ CfP opens: August 21, 2026 | ⏱️ Submission deadline: October 16, 2026 |

The conference is organized by Humlab, Umeå University in collaboration with DIGSUM, Umeå University. For inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

For submission guidelines and full details:
🔗 Visit the DHNB Website: https://dhnb.eu/conferences/dhnb2027/
🔗 Read the full CfP here: https://dhnb.eu/conferences/dhnb2027/call-for-papers-dhnb-2027/

We warmly welcome researchers, developers, and institutions across the Nordic and Baltic regions who engage with digital methods in the humanities to join us in Umeå.

21/05/2026

On 19 May, Caroline Hervé presented her research during a seminar titled Everyday Colonialism: Inuit Lives and the Ordinary Work of the State in Nunavik (Canadian Arctic). The seminar was co-organised by Várdduo - Centre for Sámi Research, Humlab and the Department of Language Studies, all of which are part of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

– I hope that these exchanges, both formal and informal, will encourage intellectual dialogue and facilitate long-term scholarly connections between Université Laval, Várdduo, and Umeå University.

Read more about the visit on our website: umu.se/humlab

12/05/2026

Evelina Liliequist och Maria Podkorytova presenterade InfraVis vid SciLifeLabs infrastrukturdag vid Umeå universitet igår, den 11 maj 👏

Evenemanget samlade forskare från hela Umeås life science-miljö för att utforska möjligheter inom forskningsinfrastruktur, dela expertis och stärka tvärvetenskapliga kontakter. Programmet innehöll presentationer från både nationella och lokala infrastrukturer, samt diskussioner om datahantering och teknikutveckling. Posterpresentationer och nätverkssessioner bidrog ytterligare till dialog och samarbete i syfte att främja life science-forskningen i Sverige.

– Vi är glada över att kunna bidra genom att presentera InfraVis och lyfta fram vårt stöd inom vetenskaplig visualisering, säger Evelina.

Läs nyheten på vår webb:
umu.se/humlab

17/04/2026

Do you want to know more about the experience of being an intern at Humlab? ☕

Kim Wiedmann studies Media and Rhetoric at the University of Tübingen in Germany. As part of her studies, she completed a mandatory ten‑week internship at Humlab, working closely with our Communications Officer. During the internship, Kim explored a wide range of tasks, including work on research infrastructures. As her time at Humlab comes to an end, she reflects on her experiences and what she has learned along the way.

Read more about the interview on our website.
https://www.umu.se/en/feature/kim-about-the-internship-at-humlab/

16/04/2026

Today, we had the honor of listening to a Talk by Laurens Naudts from AI, Media & Democracy Lab and Institute for Information Law, University of Amsterdam.

Drawing on critical theory and glitch feminism, he spoke about how invisibilities can be used to strategically counteract structural inequalities within the AI value chain. At the same time, he also examined how a politics that foregrounds visibility and legibility may undermine such resistance strategies.

The context of his Talk evoked thoughts and acted as a reminder to approach topics of social inequality mindfully and respectfully. There were a lot of questions and suggestions – from participants both on-site and online. This created an inviting forum where people could connect about the topic in question.

Thank you to all of the participants, and to Laurens for joining us today!

Adress

Umeå

Webbplats

https://www.umu.se/humlab/

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