Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
May 2020
From ACM News
ALGOL 60 at 60: The Greatest Computer Language You've Never Used and Grandaddy of the Programming Family Tree
Back to the time when tape was king.
From ACM News
Weird Behavior During the Pandemic Is Messing with AI Models
Machine-learning models trained on normal behavior are showing cracks — forcing humans to step in to set them straight.
From ACM News
China Hacking Poses 'Significant Threat' to U.S. Covid-19 Response, Says FBI
Organizations conducting research into Covid-19 may be targeted by computer hackers linked to the Chinese government, according to the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
From ACM TechNews
Morocco Launches Fleet of DJI Drones to Tackle Coronavirus From the Sky
Morocco has expanded its fleet of aerial drones to help curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
From ACM TechNews
Software Developed by SMU Stops Ransomware Attacks
New software identifies ransomware attacks before attackers can cause catastrophic damage, even if the ransomware has not been previously used.
From ACM TechNews
Australia Wins AI 'Eurovision Song Contest'
An Australian team won the unofficial AI ‘Eurovision Song Contest’.
From ACM TechNews
Planetary Exploration Rover Avoids Sand Traps with 'Rear Rotator Pedaling'
Researchers are developing next-generation planetary explorers that can negotiate hills and soft granular surfaces without getting stuck in sand traps.
From ACM TechNews
Companies Wrestle With Growing Cybersecurity Threat: Their Own Employees
As companies navigate an increase in cyberattacks amid the coronavirus pandemic, they must contend with the security threats posed by their own employees.
From ACM News
Digital Twinning
Many organizations using the Internet of Things have already implemented Digital Twins.
From ACM TechNews
Researchers Identify Potential Active Substances Against Coronavirus by Running Supercomputer Simulations
Researchers used the MOGON II supercomputer to identify several drugs approved for treating hepatitis C viral infection as potential candidates against COVID-19.
From ACM TechNews
Australian Military Gets First Drone That Can Fly With AI
The Royal Australian Air Force has received a prototype of a jet-powered drone that Boeing Australia said will use artificial intelligence to "fly independently, or in support of manned aircraft."
From ACM TechNews
UC Berkeley Researchers Open-Source RAD to Improve Any Reinforcement Learning Algorithm
A team of researchers has open-sourced Reinforcement Learning with Augmented Data.
From ACM TechNews
Hastily Introduced Fake News Laws Could Damage Efforts to Counter Disinformation, UNESCO Warns
Reports warn that legislation to curb disinformation on the coronavirus could damage legitimate journalism's efforts to combat this "disinfodemic."
From ACM News
Looking to Big Data, AI for COVID-19 Shutdown Exit Strategies
Crowdsourced data, artificial intelligence, and cryptography are emerging as vital tools for controlling transmission of COVID-19 as countries look for exit strategies.
From ACM News
Women CS Graduates Surpass Record Set 17 Years Ago
But percentages lag behind.
From ACM News
App Shows Promise in Tracking New Coronavirus Cases, Study Finds
The app, which allows people to record their symptoms, was remarkably effective in predicting infections. The most reliable indicators, researchers found, were loss of smell and taste.
From ACM TechNews
Global Firms Push U.S. to Research 5G Tech That Would Minimize Chinese Influence
A coalition of global companies is urging U.S. lawmakers to fund research into next-generation technology.
From ACM TechNews
This Was Supposed to Be the Year Driverless Cars Went Mainstream
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted technology companies' plans to bring autonomous vehicles into the mainstream this year.
From ACM TechNews
Preventing AI From Divulging Its Own Secrets
Researchers have demonstrated the first countermeasure for shielding artificial intelligence from differential power analysis attacks.
From ACM TechNews
Intel Confirms Critical New Security Problem for Windows Users
Intel has verified a newly disclosed security flaw in Windows that exposes an apparently critical vulnerability on millions of computers.
From ACM TechNews
Coronavirus Has Upended Election Security Training with Just Months Before November
The University of Southern California Election Security Initiative is scrambling to virtually train campaign and election officials across the U.S. before the November elections.
From ACM TechNews
Technology Sector Shed Record Number of Jobs in April
Information technology trade group CompTIA estimated U.S. IT employers lost a record 112,000 jobs in April, based on U.S. Labor Department data.
From ACM News
The Confessions of Marcus Hutchins, the Hacker Who Saved the Internet
At 22, he single-handedly put a stop to the worst cyberattack the world had ever seen. Then he was arrested by the FBI. This is his untold story.
From ACM TechNews
AI Software Gets Mixed Reviews for Tackling Coronavirus
Artificial intelligence software used by hospitals to help diagnose and evaluate COVID-19 has drawn mixed reviews.
From ACM TechNews
Scientists Make Artificial Skin for Robots
Scientists worldwide are developing robotic skin to imbue machines with tactile perception, and even allow them to feel pain in some cases.
From ACM TechNews
Apple, Google Ban Use of Location Tracking in Contact Tracing Apps
Apple and Google said they would not allow the use of location tracking in apps using their new contact tracing system to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
From ACM News
Can AI Become Conscious?
Yes, but only if it runs on very different hardware, says Christof Koch of Seattle's Allen Institute for Brain Science.
From ACM News
Our Weird Behavior During the Pandemic is Messing With AI Models
Machine-learning models trained on normal behavior are showing cracks —forcing humans to step in to set them straight.
From ACM News
A Pandemic Benefit: The Expansion of Telemedicine
Medical practice over the Internet can result in faster diagnoses and treatments, increase the efficiency of care, and reduce patient stress.
From ACM News
Keeping Online Testing Honest? Or an Orwellian Overreach?
The rise of proctoring software to deter cheating alarms privacy advocates. Some students and professors find it invasive, too.