Communications of the ACM
The news archive provides access to past news stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
August 2023
From ACM News
People Rush to ATMs After Bank of Ireland IT Glitch
Bank of Ireland has fixed technical problems that allowed some customers to withdraw or transfer funds above what was in their accounts, it said Wednesday after social media posts prompted queues at ATMs.
From ACM TechNews
Reinventing Utopia: Self-Created Communities for the Digital Age
Jon Hillis is using digital technologies to create a network of self-generating co-living communities like Neighborhood Zero outside Austin, TX, to help decentralize government.
From ACM News
Hackers Explore Ways to Misuse AI In Major Security Test
Nearly 2,500 hackers at the DEFCON conference's AI Village spent this past weekend poking and probing some of the most popular large language models for flaws.
From ACM News
Researchers Explore Best Practices for Talking to Kids About Online Privacy
Researchers at NIST suggest good strategies for talking to kids about online privacy and security, from a young age through high school.
From ACM TechNews
'Digital Heist' Recaptures the Rosetta Stone
A collective of designers in London have "digitally repatriated" the Rosetta Stone by creating a three-dimensional digital representation of the relic that people can access without physically going to the British Museum.
From ACM TechNews
Deep Learning for New Protein Design
Scientists at the University of Washington and Belgium's Ghent University enhanced current energy-based physical models in de novo computational protein design using deep learning techniques.
From ACM TechNews
Parenting a Three-Year-Old Robot
An open source AI agent developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon and Meta AI gives robots manipulation abilities equivalent to those of a three-year-old child.
From ACM TechNews
What Do a Jellyfish, a Cat, a Snake, and an Astronaut Have in Common? Math
A new algorithm describes the various motions that help animals navigate their environments by changing their body shapes.
From ACM TechNews
VR Headsets Are Vulnerable to Hackers
Computer scientists found hackers can translate the movements of virtual and augmented reality headset users into words using spyware and artificial intelligence.
From ACM TechNews
Incorporating Human Error into Machine Learning
Scientists are incorporating uncertainty into machine learning systems.
From ACM News
California Just Opened the Floodgates for Self-Driving Cars
After a state regulatory board ruling, San Francisco will have 24/7 robotaxis on its streets.
From ACM News
From Time Crystals to Wormholes: When Is a Quantum Simulation Real?
Physicists are using quantum computers to conjure exotic phenomena and claiming their creations are truly real.
From ACM TechNews
Building Better Models Starts with Reexamining Metrics
Researchers emphasized the importance of measuring the performance of generative artificial intelligence models in order to improve them.
From ACM TechNews
Glasgow University Spinout Raises $43 Million to 'Digitize Chemistry'
Chemify, which was spun out of the U.K.'s Glasgow University in 2022, has received $43 million in funding to further its efforts to "digitize chemistry."
From ACM TechNews
Work Begins on Project to Build 'World's Most Sophisticated Roadway'
Officials said construction of the "world's most sophisticated roadway" on Interstate 94 in Wayne County, MI, has begun.
From ACM TechNews
Cancer Diagnosis, Treatment Could Get a Boost from ML
A new machine learning algorithm was designed to help physicians diagnose specific types of cancer and select the most effective treatment.
From ACM News
Amazon Isn't Prepared for Incoming Tide of AI-Authored Books. Jane Friedman Has Proof
Book scams are proliferating in the advent of AI-generated content
From ACM News
U.S. Launches Contest on AI Cybersecurity Tools Development
DARPA will offer two tracks for participants, a Funded Track and an Open Track.
From ACM News
AI is Building Highly Effective Antibodies Humans Can't Even Imagine
Robots, computers, and algorithms are hunting for potential new therapies in ways humans can't.
From ACM News
Criminals Have Created Their Own ChatGPT Clones
Cybercriminals are touting large language models that could help them with phishing or creating malware. But the AI chatbots could just be their own kind of scam.
From ACM News
Pneumatic Computing Gains Air of Importance
The emergence of pneumatics as a computing tool could alter many fields and lead to new innovations.
From ACM News
Researchers Create Screen Protection System to Fend Off Shoulder Surfers
Eye-Shield uses an innovative pixelation scheme to obscure device screens when viewed from a distance, safeguarding against shoulder surfing attacks.
From ACM News
'It's Already Way Beyond What Humans Can Do': Will AI Wipe Out Architects?
It's revolutionizing building – but could AI kill off an entire profession?
From ACM News
'Downfall' Flaw Exposes Valuable Data in Generations of Intel Chips
The vulnerability could allow attackers to take advantage of an information leak to steal sensitive details like private messages, passwords, and encryption keys.
From ACM TechNews
Most Tech-Forward U.S. City Has Doubts About Self-Driving Cars
San Francisco officials and residents are not impressed by self-driving cars, underscoring the challenges ahead for autonomous vehicle companies.
From ACM TechNews
China Drafts Rules for Facial Recognition Technology
The Cyberspace Administration of China has issued draft rules governing the use of facial recognition technology amid public concerns about its overuse.
From ACM TechNews
Cyberattack on U.K.'s Electoral Registers Revealed
The U.K.'s Electoral Commission disclosed a "complex cyberattack" in which "hostile actors" accessed copies of electoral registers from August 2021.
From ACM News
LK-99 Confirmed Not To Be A Room-Temperature Superconductor
There is no point in resisting the data.
From ACM News
Zoom's Privacy Tweaks Stoke Fears Its Calls Will Be Used to Train AI
Zoom also said that "notwithstanding" the uses outlined in its rules, it "will not use audio, video or chat Customer Content" to train AI without consent
From ACM News
Meet the Hackers Who Are Trying to Make AI Go Rogue
Chatbots can be biased, deceptive or even dangerous. Hackers are competing to figure out exactly how.