Analysis | Digital Watch Observatory

9 Jul 2025

The rise and risks of synthetic media

Balancing synthetic media’s benefits with its risks will shape the future of digital communication and societies.

2 Jul 2025

The cognitive cost of AI: Balancing assistance and awareness

What if the very tool designed to boost your productivity is quietly dulling your mind each time you use it?

25 Jun 2025

AI governance debated at IGF 2025: Global cooperation meets local needs

AI governance must be inclusive, context-aware, and rooted in human rights, IGF 2025 panellists agree.

25 Jun 2025

Yoga in the age of AI: Digital spirituality or algorithmic escapism?

As yoga enters the digital frontier, we must confront the paradox: can a practice rooted in presence survive an era defined by simulation?

18 Jun 2025

Breaking down the OEWG’s legacy: Hits, misses, and unfinished business

The OEWG on cybersecurity (2019–2025) shaped global debates on digital security—but did it deliver? External experts weigh in on its lasting impact, while our team, who tracked the process from day one, dissect the milestones and missed opportunities. Together, these perspectives reveal what’s next for cyber governance in a fractured world.

11 Jun 2025

Meme coins: Fast gains or crypto gambling?

A high-stakes game of digital chance, meme coins blur the line between viral entertainment and financial risk in the wildest corner of crypto.

4 Jun 2025

Cognitive offloading and the future of the mind in the AI age

The rise of AI is transforming work and education, but raises questions about its impact on critical thinking and cognitive independence.

28 May 2025

The rise of AI in Hollywood, gaming, and music

AI is reshaping how stories are told in film, games, and music, raising questions about authorship, ethics, and artistic identity.

21 May 2025

The rise of tech giants in healthcare: How AI is reshaping life sciences

AI-powered tools from Google, IBM, and startups improve diagnostics, clinical documentation, and patient care, reducing clinician workloads and enhancing healthcare outcomes worldwide.

14 May 2025

Bitcoin’s political puppeteers: From code to clout

Once hailed as the future of financial freedom, Bitcoin now finds itself swayed by political power, elite influence, and media manipulation — raising urgent questions about whether the revolution has become the very system it sought to escape.