此書以數位人文為核心，建構一套回應人工智慧時代的理論與實踐框架，強調「人類因科技而強大，因人文而偉大」的核心精神。首先建立本體論、知識論、修辭學、方法論等六大理論支柱，重新界定數位時代中人文的存在方式、知識生成模式、數位表達意義及研究方法，指出數位人文不只是科技工具的應用，而是結合人文思辨、數據分析與跨域合作的新學術典範。
在教育實踐方面，書中提出「科技五功」──典藏、分析、呈現、創作與流通，說明科技如何協助文化保存、知識分析、沉浸式展示、創新創作及文化傳播。同時強調教育應結合大數據與「厚數據（Thick Data）」思維，兼顧量化分析與文化脈絡詮釋，使學生能透過真實問題、真實資料與跨域合作，培養批判思考、創新能力與社會關懷，而非停留於技術操作層面。
面對生成式人工智慧快速發展，本書提出「人文人工智慧（HAI）」概念，主張AI必須以人為本，由人引導並服務人類福祉，而非取代人的價值。作者特別提醒，生成式AI雖能提升效率，卻可能伴隨幻覺與假訊息，因此人類更應維持批判思考、創造力與情感判斷等「思維鏈」，培養後AI時代所需的人文素養與價值反思。最後，本書以「跨越間隙（Mind the Gap）」作為未來願景，提出跨學科、跨世代、跨國界等八項跨域思維，鼓勵教育與研究者透過數位人文整合科技與文化，成為未來社會的價值設計者與意義創造者。
Digital Humanities: Cartography to the Future presents a comprehensive vision for digital humanities in the age of artificial intelligence, arguing that technology should ultimately serve human values rather than replace them. Built upon the principle that “technology empowers humanity, while the humanities give it greatness,” the book establishes a systematic theoretical foundation through six major pillars, including ontology, epistemology, rhetoric, and methodology. These perspectives redefine how humanities exist in digital environments, how knowledge is co-created by humans and machines, how digital expression shapes meaning, and how qualitative interpretation can be integrated with quantitative analysis. Rather than viewing digital humanities as merely the application of digital tools, the book positions it as a new interdisciplinary paradigm that combines technological capability with humanistic inquiry.
The book also translates theory into educational practice through the framework of the “Five Functions of Technology”: collection, analysis, presentation, creation, and circulation. These functions illustrate how digital technologies can preserve cultural heritage, facilitate data-driven research, create immersive experiences, inspire new forms of creativity, and expand cultural dissemination. Beyond emphasizing big data, the authors advocate the use of “Thick Data” and “Thick Interpretation,” encouraging educators to combine computational methods with cultural context and human understanding. Students are therefore expected to engage with authentic problems and real-world data while developing interdisciplinary thinking, critical reflection, and social responsibility instead of focusing solely on technical skills.
Addressing the rapid rise of generative AI, the book introduces the concept of Humanistic Artificial Intelligence (HAI), emphasizing that AI should remain human-centered, guided by people, and dedicated to human well-being and sustainable development. While acknowledging AI's remarkable efficiency, the authors warn against its limitations, such as hallucinations and misinformation, arguing that uniquely human capacities—including critical reasoning, creativity, ethical judgment, and emotional intelligence—must remain central. This “chain of thought” represents the essential quality that distinguishes humans from machines and forms the foundation of education in the post-AI era.
Finally, the book envisions the future through the metaphor of “Mind the Gap,” encouraging educators and researchers to bridge boundaries across disciplines, generations, cultures, time, and educational contexts. Rather than accepting a predetermined future, readers are encouraged to shape a desirable one through foresight, transformation, and collaboration. Digital humanities is therefore presented not only as an academic field but also as a bridge between technology and humanity, empowering future generations to become designers of meaning, creators of value, and architects of new narratives in an AI-driven world.
(181) Ho, Chia-Min, Shih, Ju-Ling, Lin, Chin-Yi, & Tseng, Chia-Chun (2024). Exploring Taiwan University Students’ Digital Humanities Literacy Using Visualization Interactive Data Analysis Dashboard. 2024 Pacific Neighborhood Consortium Annual Conference and Joint Meetings (PNC 2024), Aug 29-31. Seoul, South Korea: Korea University.
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