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
Texting and Driving Isn't a Millennial Problem. It's an Engineering Problem
Millennials love their smartphones and refuse to drive without them. No amount of fist shaking or age shaming will fix this problem. Banishing distracted driving...
From ACM Opinion
The AI Threat Isn't Skynet. It's the End of the Middle Class
In February 1975, a group of geneticists gathered in a tiny town on the central coast of California to decide if their work would bring about the end of the world...
From ACM Opinion
Lady Gaga's Halftime Show Drones Have a Bright Future
The best Super Bowl halftime shows leave indelible memories, be it a notorious wardrobe malfunction, that goofy Left Shark, or every last second of Beyoncé's two...
From ACM Opinion
Police Could Get Your Location Data Without a Warrant. That Has to End
The more we rely on technology, the more detailed a technological footprint we leave behind.
From ACM Opinion
Connected Devices Give Spies a Powerful New Way to Surveil
There is little doubt that the web is the greatest gift that any intelligence agency could have ever asked for.
From ACM Opinion
The Biggest Security Threats Coming in 2017
Whether it was a billion compromised Yahoo accounts or state-sponsored Russian hackers muscling in on the US election, this past year saw hacks of unprecedented...
From ACM News
The Year Encryption Won
Between the revelations of mega-hacks of Yahoo and others, Russia's meddling in the US electoral system, and the recent spike in ransomware, it's easy to look at...
From ACM Opinion
Trump Ignoring S Intelligence Creates Risks Beyond Russian Hacking
Observers and alumni of America's intelligence community have already fretted over Donald Trump's impending control of the world's most powerful spy agencies.
From ACM Opinion
Inside Nat Geo's Incredible Documentary Mission to Mars
A spaceship is preparing to land on Mars when the crew notices that one of the thrusters isn’t firing.
From ACM Opinion
Obama's Concerned an AI Could Hack America's Nukes
During his eight years in office, President Barack Obama has seen hackers grow into a threat no president has faced before.
From ACM Opinion
The Feds Will Soon Be Able to Legally Hack Almost Anyone
Digital devices and software programs are complicated. Behind the pointing and clicking on screen are thousands of processes and routines that make everything work...
From ACM Opinion
The Next President Will Decide the Fate of Killer Robots, and the Future of War
The next president will have a range of issues on their plate, from how to deal with growing tensions with China and Russia, to an ongoing war against ISIS.
From ACM Opinion
At 25, the World Wide Web Is Still a Long Way From Reality
Twenty-five years ago today, Tim Berners-Lee unleashed the World Wide Web, publishing the first public webpage. Well, maybe.
From ACM Opinion
How One Journalist ses Social Media to Get Inside the Minds of Isis
Rukmini Callimachi is arguably the best reporter on the most important beat in the world. As a New York Times correspondent covering terrorism, her work explores...
From ACM Opinion
The Doom of Your Memories Doesn't Really Exist
If you played Doom during its heyday in the 90s, I have some disappointing news: it's not as frightening as you remember.
From ACM Opinion
Werner Herzog's Web
Werner Herzog gazes solemnly at the metal exoskeleton. The set of robotic arms lies slumped in a laboratory on the UCLA campus, surrounded by empty cardboard boxes...
From ACM Opinion
The Return of Arthur C. Clarke's Fantastic Vision of Jupiter
The Juno space probe is now in orbit around Jupiter, meaning space buffs around the world are eagerly awaiting whatever new data the probe sends back.
From ACM Opinion
Cozmo Is an Artificially Intelligent Toy Truck That's Also the Future of Robotics
Hanns Tappeiner types a few lines of code into his laptop and hits "return."
From ACM Opinion
Why a Killer Robot Was Likely the Only Option For Dallas Police
When a police robot killed suspect Micah Johnson in Dallas early Friday morning, it was likely an unprecedented event.
From ACM Opinion