Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
December 2023
From ACM TechNews
Teens Push to Broaden AI Literacy
Some teenagers are asking their schools to provide broader AI learning experiences.
From ACM News
Google DeepMind Used a Large Language Model to Solve an Unsolvable Math Problem
They had to throw away most of what it produced, but there was gold among the garbage.
From ACM News
OpenAI's Ilya Sutskever Has a Plan for Keeping Super-Intelligent AI in Check
The Superalignment team led by OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever has devised a way to guide the behavior of AI models as they get ever smarter.
From ACM TechNews
AI for Safer Bike Helmets, Better Shoe Soles
An artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by researchers at Switzerland's ETH Zurich can predict new metamaterials that can be three-dimensional printed.
From ACM News
Multiple Data Leaks at 23andMe
Stolen genetic data leads to class action suit against the testing firm.
From ACM News
Cheating Fears Over Chatbots Were Overblown, New Research Suggests
A.I. tools like ChatGPT did not boost the frequency of cheating in high schools, Stanford researchers say.
From ACM TechNews
NOAA's Older Earth-Watching Satellites Get 'Extended Life'
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use a cloud-based system to extend the life of polar-orbiting satellites slated for decommissioning.
From ACM TechNews
Resurrecting Vincent van Gogh
At the Musée D’Orsay in Paris, a replica of Vincent van Gogh chats with visitors, offering insights into his life and death.
From ACM TechNews
AI Turns Thoughts into Text
A portable, non-invasive system can transform an individual's thoughts into text.
From ACM News
AI Companion Robot Helps Some Seniors Fight Loneliness, but Others Hate It
There's limited evidence for health benefits so far; early work suggests no one-size-fits-all.
From ACM News
Judges Given the OK to Use ChatGPT in Legal Rulings
The U.K. now permits judges to use the "jolly useful" artificial intelligence chatbot in court.
From ACM News
New York Plans to Invest $1 Billion to Expand Chip Research
The move is aimed at drawing $9 billion in corporate investment, as New York jockeys to host a new national semiconductor technology center.
From ACM News
Wearable Data Predicted COVID Infections
Is convergence near for consumer and medical wearables?
From ACM TechNews
Medical AI Tools Can Make Dangerous Mistakes. Can the Government Help Prevent Them?
The Biden administration has proposed a labeling system for artificial intelligence healthcare apps that aims to ensure their safety.
From ACM TechNews
Helping Autonomous Vehicles Make Moral Decisions by Ditching the Trolley Problem
North Carolina State University researchers are working to collect more realistic data on moral challenges in low-stakes traffic situations.
From ACM TechNews
Robot Eel Reveals How the Fish Swim So Efficiently
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne have developed a waterproof, eel-like robot that can undulate in several different patterns.
From ACM News
Jury Finds Google's App Store Broke Anti-Monopoly Laws
In a landmark decision, Epic Games won its lawsuit against the search giant.
From ACM News
Apple's iMessage Block of Beeper Mini Just Part of Bigger Blue/Green Bubble Saga
Apple takes preventative measures to protect its customers. Beeper claims Apple's latest move does just the opposite.
From ACM News
The Year A.I. Ate the Internet
Call 2023 the year many of us learned to communicate, create, cheat, and collaborate with robots.
From ACM TechNews
Engineers Design Robotic Replica of the Heart's Right Chamber
Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have created a robotic replica of the heart’s right ventricle.
From ACM TechNews
VR Goggles for Mice Create Immersive Scenarios for Brain Research
Northwestern University researchers developed virtual reality goggles for mice.
From ACM TechNews
Quantum-Computing Approach Uses Single Molecules as Qubits for First Time
Two teams of researchers made pairs of calcium monofluoride molecules interact to become entangled, a necessity for quantum computers to perform algorithms.
From ACM News
This A.I. Subculture's Motto: Go, Go, Go
The eccentric pro-tech movement known as "Effective Accelerationism" wants to unshackle powerful A.I., and party along the way.
From ACM News
E.U. Agrees on Landmark Artificial Intelligence Rules
The agreement over the A.I. Act solidifies one of the world's first comprehensive attempts to limit the use of artificial intelligence.
From ACM News
U.K. Says Russia Has Targeted Lawmakers and Others in Cyberattacks for Years
The government said a group linked to Russia's intelligence service carried out sustained operations to undermine trust in Britain's political system.
From ACM TechNews
Samet Honored with ACM SIGSPATIAL Lifetime Impact Award
Hanan Samet was honored with the inaugural Lifetime Impact Award from ACM’s Special Interest Group on Spatial Information (SIGSPATIAL).
From ACM TechNews
The World Depends on 60-Year-Old Code No One Knows
COBOL is one of the top mainframe programming languages in use, but most schools and universities have not taught COBOL in decades.
From ACM TechNews
Bitcoin Mining Used More Water Than New York City Last Year
A study found that water use by bitcoin miners hit 591 billion gallons so far this year, up from 415 billion gallons in 2021.
From ACM TechNews
2D Material Reshapes 3D Electronics for Hardware
An international team developed a monolithic three dimensional integrated chip comprised of layered two-dimensional materials.
From ACM TechNews
Drones Protect Wind Turbines from Ice
Researchers developed a method to protect wind turbines from ice using drones.