Communications of the ACM
Innovation Is Overrated: A Provocation
Digital innovation is not working in the interest of the whole of society. It is time to radically rethink its purpose without…
From ACM Opinion
Facebook Uses Deceptive Math to Hide Its Hate Speech Problem
The company claims its AI is amazing at removing harmful content, but internal documents suggest the algorithm is ineffective
From ACM Opinion
Americans Need a Bill of Rights for an AI-Powered World
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is developing principles to guard against powerful technologies—with input from the public
From ACM Opinion
What Social Media Needs to Learn from Traditional Media
The industry needs to develop professional norms—just as journalism once did
From ACM Opinion
Big Tech Is Bending to the Indian Government's Will
The chasm between how platform giants uphold democratic values in the West and don't in the global south grows by the day
From ACM Opinion
Now That Machines Can Learn, Can They Unlearn?
Researchers are testing whether they can remove sensitive data without retraining AI systems from scratch
From ACM Opinion
The Privacy Battle that Apple Isn't Fighting
California has begun enforcing a browser-level privacy setting, but you still can't find that option in Safari or iOS
From ACM Opinion
Biden's 'Antitrust Revolution' Overlooks AI—at Americans' Peril
A handful of companies have outsize influence on the world's AI. Policymakers must act now to stem the rise of powerful monopolies.
From ACM Opinion
Alondra Nelson Wants to Make Science and Tech More Just
The deputy director of the White House science office plans to tackle algorithmic bias and start candid conversations about the past.
From ACM Opinion
It's Time to Make Tech Work for Society, Not the Other Way Around
Dame Wendy Hall is regius professor of computer science at the U.K.'s University of Southampton, and former president of ACM.
From ACM Opinion
Seriously, Stop Trying to Teach Toddlers How to Code
There are other, more important lessons to impart to your preschooler.
From ACM Opinion
Why Is Facebook So Afraid of Checking Facts?
The biggest social network in the world has the wrong idea for how to fight Covid-19 conspiracies.
From ACM Opinion
Stop Saying Driverless Cars Will Help Old People
And maybe start including them in research instead of just assuming we know what they want.
From ACM Opinion
VR Could Be the Most Powerful Teaching Tool Since the PC
Virtual reality is much more than a gaming technology. In fact, VR has the makings of a pedagogical silver bullet.
From ACM Opinion
Shoot-'Em-Up Videogames Don't Warp Minds – Big Tech Does
It takes a lot of effort, research, and efficiency to manipulate people online and influence their behavior in the real world. Silicon Valley has it down to a science...
From ACM Opinion
Caroline Criado Perez Explains the 'Gender Data Gap'
In Invisible Women, Caroline Criado Perez examines elements of the modern world that appear to be designed with less consideration for women, including smartphones...
From ACM Opinion
The Robocall Crisis Will Never Be Totally Fixed
Years into the robocalling frenzy, your phone probably still rings off the hook with "important information about your account," updates from the "Chinese embassy...
From ACM Opinion
The ncanny Valley Nobody's Talking About: Eerie Robot Voices
Call it the Great Convergence of Creepiness. The first bit, the uncanny valley, we're all familiar with by now: If a humanoid robot looks super realistic, but not...
From ACM Opinion
China Will Likely Corner the 5G Market, and the S Has No Plan
You may have heard that China has cornered much of the world's supply of strategic metals and minerals crucial for new technology, including lithium, rare earths...
From ACM Opinion
Trump's Plan to Keep America First in AI
The US leads the world in artificial intelligence technology. Decades of federal research funding, industrial and academic research, and streams of foreign talent...
From ACM Opinion