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Latest News News Archive Refine your search:
subjectComputers And Society
authorThe Guardian (U.K.)
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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


AI Beats 8 World Champions at Bridge
From ACM News

AI Beats 8 World Champions at Bridge

Victory marks milestone for AI as bridge requires more human skills than other strategy games

Seconds Before Earthquake Rattled California, Phones Got Vital Warning
From ACM TechNews

Seconds Before Earthquake Rattled California, Phones Got Vital Warning

An early-alert system managed by the U.S. Geological Survey on Monday warned Californians of a 6.2-magnitude earthquake by phone, seconds before it struck.

South Korea Trials Robots in Preschools to Prepare Children for High-Tech Future
From ACM TechNews

South Korea Trials Robots in Preschools to Prepare Children for High-Tech Future

The South Korean government has launched trials of small robots in 300 nurseries and childcare centers in Seoul as teaching aids.

Working of Algorithms Used in Government Decision-Making to Be Revealed
From ACM TechNews

Working of Algorithms Used in Government Decision-Making to Be Revealed

A new U.K. government standard for transparency requires ministers and public entities to disclose the underlying architecture of algorithms they use for decision...

Privacy Fears as Moscow Metro Rolls Out Facial Recognition Pay System
From ACM TechNews

Privacy Fears as Moscow Metro Rolls Out Facial Recognition Pay System

Privacy activists warn the Moscow metro's Face Pay facial recognition payment system constitutes a sinister move by Russia to monitor and control its people.

7-Eleven Took Photos of Australian Customers' Faces Without Consent, Privacy Commissioner Rules
From ACM TechNews

7-Eleven Took Photos of Australian Customers' Faces Without Consent, Privacy Commissioner Rules

Australian privacy commissioner Angelene Falk said facial recognition technology used in 700 Australian 7-Eleven stores interfered with customer privacy.

Huge Data Leak Shatters the Lie that the Innocent Need Not Fear Surveillance
From ACM News

Huge Data Leak Shatters the Lie that the Innocent Need Not Fear Surveillance

The Guardian's investigation shows how repressive regimes can buy and use the kind of spying tools Edward Snowden warned us about.

Blood Test That Finds 50 Types of Cancer Accurate Enough to Be Rolled Out
From ACM TechNews

Blood Test That Finds 50 Types of Cancer Accurate Enough to Be Rolled Out

Researchers found that a blood test developed using a machine learning algorithm is accurate in detecting more than 50 types of cancer.

Robot Rock: Can Big Tech Pick Pop's Next Megastar?
From ACM News

Robot Rock: Can Big Tech Pick Pop's Next Megastar?

Faced with so much new music, major labels are using algorithms to hunt down tomorrow's hits. Is this great news for rising stars – or the recipe for a bland new...

Scientists May Have Solved Ancient Mystery of 'First Computer'
From ACM News

Scientists May Have Solved Ancient Mystery of 'First Computer'

Researchers claim breakthrough in study of 2,000-year-old Antikythera mechanism, an astronomical calculator found in sea

Electricity Needed to Mine Bitcoin is More Than Used by 'Entire Countries'
From ACM TechNews

Electricity Needed to Mine Bitcoin is More Than Used by 'Entire Countries'

The Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index estimated the electricity used to mine bitcoins last year equaled the annual carbon footprint of Argentina. ...

Drones Join Fight to Save New Zealand's Rarest Dolphin
From ACM TechNews

Drones Join Fight to Save New Zealand's Rarest Dolphin

The nonprofit MAUI63 organization hopes to preserve New Zealand's endangered Maui dolphin with an aerial drone.

Tech Platforms Vowed to Address Racial Equity: How Have They Fared?
From ACM TechNews

Tech Platforms Vowed to Address Racial Equity: How Have They Fared?

Facebook and other major technology platforms pledged to improve their diversity and antiracism efforts this year in response to racial unrest in the U.S. How have...

Not to Be Sneezed At: How 3D Printing Is Supersizing the Tiny World of Pollen
From ACM TechNews

Not to Be Sneezed At: How 3D Printing Is Supersizing the Tiny World of Pollen

Oliver Wilson at the U.K.'s University of Reading has created a platform for three-dimensionally printing oversized models of pollen grains from high-quality scans...

'Machines Set Loose to Slaughter': the Dangerous Rise of Military AI
From ACM News

'Machines Set Loose to Slaughter': the Dangerous Rise of Military AI

Autonomous machines capable of deadly force are increasingly prevalent in modern warfare, despite numerous ethical concerns. Is there anything we can do to halt...

Twitter Apologizes for 'Racist' Image-Cropping Algorithm
From ACM TechNews

Twitter Apologizes for 'Racist' Image-Cropping Algorithm

Twitter has issued an apology for an image-cropping algorithm deemed racist after users found it would automatically focus on white faces over black ones.

A Robot Wrote This Entire Article. Are You Scared Yet, Human?
From ACM News

A Robot Wrote This Entire Article. Are You Scared Yet, Human?

We asked GPT-3, OpenAI's powerful new language generator, to write an essay for us from scratch. The assignment? To convince us robots come in peace

New Zealand Claims World First in Setting Standards for Government Use of Algorithms
From ACM News

New Zealand Claims World First in Setting Standards for Government Use of Algorithms

New Zealand's Statistics minister says the new charter on algorithms is an 'important part of building public trust."

Silent Film Reel Shows Staff Connected to Bletchley Park for First Time
From ACM News

Silent Film Reel Shows Staff Connected to Bletchley Park for First Time

Footage, preserved in original canister, shows people who worked at secret wartime site

If A Novel Was Good, Would You Care If It Was Created by Artificial Intelligence?
From ACM News

If A Novel Was Good, Would You Care If It Was Created by Artificial Intelligence?

The first computer-generated screenplays are promised within five years. Fiction can't be far behind.
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