Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
June 2021
From ACM News
Google Says It's Committed to Ethical AI Research. Its Ethical AI Team Isn't So Sure
Six months after Timnit Gebru left, Google's ethical artificial intelligence team is still in a state of upheaval.
From ACM News
This Is How Attackers Bypass Microsoft's AMSI Anti-Malware Scanning Protection
Researchers outline common tactics for circumventing the security software.
From ACM TechNews
The Robot Smiled Back
Columbia Engineering researchers have developed an autonomous robot whose face can mimic the expressions of nearby humans.
From ACM TechNews
Israel's Operation Against Hamas Was the World's First AI War
Israel's military calls its recent campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip the world's first artificial intelligence (AI) war.
From ACM TechNews
Like a Spellchecker for Developers: Automated Detection of Security Vulnerabilities in Cloud Applications
CodeShield software can detect and patch security bugs in cloud applications by automatically analyzing vulnerabilities in the program code.
From ACM News
Brain-Computer Interface Smashes Previous Record for Typing Speed
Imagining writing-by-hand is faster than imagining moving a cursor in new BCI system.
From ACM News
A Rural-Urban Broadband Divide, but Not the One You Think Of
Many more people in cities lack broadband access than in rural areas, but lawmakers are primarily focused on extending high-speed access to remote areas.
From ACM News
How Apps and VR Therapy Can Help OCD Patients
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is often misunderstood. Here's what it is, and how those with OCD can use technology to help navigate uncertainty.
From ACM News
U.K. Has a Plan for a New 'Pandemic Radar' System
Disease surveillance schemes to catch the next rising virus already exist—they're just not communicating with each other.
From ACM News
Russian Cybercriminal Group Was Behind Meat Plant Attack, F.B.I. Says
Meat processing plants operated by JBS, which handles a fifth of the cattle and hog slaughter in the U.S., were coming back online on Wednesday but were not all at full capacity, union officials said.
From ACM News
The M.T.A. Is Breached by Hackers as Cyberattacks Surge
Hackers with suspected ties to China penetrated the New York transit agency's computer systems in April, an M.T.A. document shows. Transit officials say the intrusion did not pose a risk to riders.
From ACM News
Want Your Nails Done? Let a Robot Do It.
Start-ups are using technology to take a robotic approach to manicures, offering a simple way to provide foolproof nail polish.
From ACM TechNews
How to Get More Women into Technology
Recent initiatives aimed at swelling the ranks of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) include enrichment programs, mentorships, and engagement with potential employers.
From ACM TechNews
What Could Possibly Go Wrong with VR?
Researchers hope to inform design and experiential improvements to virtual reality technology by analyzing YouTube videos of accidents that occur while using the technology.
From ACM TechNews
Tesla Activates In-Car Camera to Monitor Drivers Using Autopilot
Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has turned the in-car camera in its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles into a monitor for when its Autopilot advanced driver assistance system is in use.
From ACM TechNews
Technology to Manage Mental Health at Your Fingertips
An electronic platform can read facial cues and vocal patterns and integrate readings from smartwatch sensors to detect psychological stress, according to Texas A&M University researchers.
From ACM TechNews
A Helping Hand for Working Robots
A human-like mechanical hand developed by researchers at South Korea's Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology is designed to be both strong and resilient.
From ACM News
Quic Gives the Internet's Data Transmission Foundation a Needed Speedup
Quic has been in public development for nearly eight years.
From ACM News
Apple’s M1 Chip Has a Fascinating Flaw
The covert channel bug is harmless, but it demonstrates that even new CPUs have mistakes in them.
From ACM News
Hackers hit JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, in ransomware attack
The breach is the latest targeting a crucial supply chain, and comes three weeks after the Colonial Pipeline hack disrupted fuel operations in the U.S.
From ACM News
Geico to Use AI to Speed Up Car Repairs
Insurer to work with tech firm Tractable to assess body-shop damage estimates.
From ACM News
Meet Virtual Reality, Your New Physical Therapist
While use of the gaming technology for improving physical ailments is still in the early stages, it shows promise — and it's fun.
From ACM News
Something Bothering You? Tell It to Woebot.
When your therapist is a bot, you can reach it at 2 a.m. But will it really understand your problems?
From ACM News
Facebook Takes on Superspreaders
Internet companies are making it harder for those with big followings to spread misinformation. Finally!
From ACM News
Changing How Data is Used
Federated AI Learning promises to reshape data security, privacy.
From ACM TechNews
More Than Half of Europeans Want to Replace Lawmakers with AI, Study Says
Most Europeans would prefer artificial intelligence replace some lawmakers, according to a study by researchers at IE University's Center for the Governance of Change in Spain.
From ACM TechNews
Florida Will Fine Social Media Companies That Bar Candidates
Florida has become the first state to fine social media companies like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter for banning political candidates from the platforms for more than 14 days.
From ACM TechNews
Columbia Engineering Team Builds First Hacker-Resistant Cloud Software System
Columbia Engineering researchers who developed SeKVM, the first formally verified cloud computing software system, hope it will foster a new generation of cyber-resilient system software.
From Communications of the ACM
Taking the Heat
Maxwell's demon and the high cost of erasure.
From Communications of the ACM
Deceiving AI
The uncanny power of machine learning can be turned against it.