Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
January 2023
From ACM News
Who Owns the Content AI Creates?
AI products like GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT, which ingest human content to make new material, raise novel legal and ethical issues.
From ACM News
'Consciousness' in Robots Was Once Taboo. Now It's the Last Word
The pursuit of artificial awareness may be humankind's next moonshot. But it comes with a host of difficult questions.
From ACM News
What's Next for the Chip Industry
Aggressive new U.S. policies will be put to the test in 2023. They could ultimately fragment the global semiconductor industry.
From ACM TechNews
Deep Learning Algorithm Can Hear Alcohol in Voice
Researchers have developed an algorithm that can instantly determine whether a person has exceeded the legal alcohol limit based on a 12-second recording of that person's voice.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum Computing Architecture Could Connect Large-Scale Devices
A new quantum computing architecture can facilitate extensible, high-fidelity communication between superconducting quantum chips.
From ACM TechNews
Thermal Drones Locating Elusive Koalas in Area Scorched by Bushfires
Thermal drones are being used by ecologists searching for koala populations in New South Wales, Australia.
From ACM News
Dell to Stop Using Chips Made in China Before the End of 2024
The decision by the world's third-largest PC vendor could have a huge impact on the order books of Chinese companies supplying components for desktop PCs and laptops.
From ACM TechNews
Chinese Researchers Claim to Break Encryption Using Quantum Computers
Scientists in China are claiming they have found a way for current-generation quantum computers to crack the RSA algorithm underlying the most common form of online encryption.
From ACM TechNews
Self-Driving Stroller Aims to Reduce Parents' Stress, for £2,700
At the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, Canadian startup Glüxkind showcased its Ella self-driving stroller
From ACM TechNews
Epidemic Modeling Approach Could Speed Pandemic Simulations
A new epidemic modeling approach could significantly accelerate pandemic simulations.
From ACM News
NYC Education Dept. Blocks ChatGPT on School Devices, Networks
It's unclear if or how many other districts are banning the program.
From ACM TechNews
Tech Layoffs Happening Faster Than at Any Time During the Pandemic
Data tracker Layoffs.fyi estimates technology industry layoffs are occurring at the fastest rate since the pandemic began.
From ACM TechNews
BMW Takes Cues from Apple with Radical Interior Overhaul
German automaker BMW's latest prototype car showcased at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show features a retooled interior that applies concepts from Apple's future car project.
From ACM TechNews
Dolphin Wearable Could Find Cost of Habitat Disturbance
Custom biologging tags have allowed researchers at the University of Michigan and other institutions to measure dolphins' energetic cost of swimming.
From ACM News
Computers Aid Dentistry
Small-scale CAD/CAM tools are among the high-tech capabilities being added to the arsenals of increasingly digital dentists.
From ACM News
Meta Fined More Than $400 Million in EU for Serving Ads Based on Online Activity
Irish privacy regulator tells the Facebook and Instagram owner it can't use its contracts with users to justify sending them such ads.
From ACM TechNews
Ukraine Has Digitized Its Fighting Forces on a Shoestring
Ukraine has digitally networked its fighting forces, intelligence, and weapons on the cheap through satellite communications and custom software.
From ACM News
U.S. Pours Money Into Chips, but Even Soaring Spending Has Limits
Amid a tech cold war with China, U.S. companies have pledged nearly $200 billion for chip manufacturing projects since early 2020. But the investments are not a silver bullet.
From ACM News
Is A.I. the Future of Test Prep?
Riiid is one of a handful of companies that believe that A.I. algorithms are perfectly suited to track student performance and give individualized attention.
From ACM TechNews
Deep Learning Can Predict Tsunami Impacts in Less Than a Second
Researchers at Japan's RIKEN Prediction Science Laboratory applied deep learning to predict the impact of tsunamis in less than a second.
From ACM TechNews
JPSO Used Facial Recognition Technology to Arrest a Man. The Tech Was Wrong
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana relied on facial-recognition technology to arrest an alleged purse thief, detaining the wrong person, who is Black, for almost a week.
From ACM TechNews
Designers in Hong Kong Try Out New Assistant: AI Fashion Maven AiDA
Fashion designers in Hong Kong showcased ensembles co-created by the Artificial intelligence-based Interactive Design Assistant (AiDA) at the Fashion X AI show.
From Communications of the ACM
The Outlook for Crypto
Can cryptocurrencies cut their environmental impact?
From Communications of the ACM
Error Control Begins to Shape Quantum Architectures
The overhead of error correction presents a serious challenge to scaling up quantum computing and may produce unexpected winners.
From Communications of the ACM
Making Traffic a Thing of the Past
New AI technologies are making it possible to autonomously reduce traffic.
From Communications of the ACM
In Memoriam: Frederick P. Brooks, Jr. 1931-2022
Frederick P. Brooks, Jr. "was a statesman in the best sense of the word, as well as a great leader, a very kind man, and a fine engineer," said fellow ACM A.M. Turing Award winner and ACM Fellow Ivan Sutherland.
From Communications of the ACM
Remembering Valérie Issarny
Computer scientist Valérie Issarny, a director of research at France's National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology and chair of the ACM Europe Council since October 2021, passed away November 12, 2022.