Communications of the ACM
The opinion archive provides access to past opinion stories from Communications of the ACM and other sources by date.
June 2021
From ACM Opinion
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on the Business of Windows
Microsoft CEO discusses efforts to make Windows 11 more flexible and open than predecessors.
From ACM Opinion
The Danger of Anthropomorphic Language in Robotic AI Systems
Clear, non-anthropomorphic language is central to dismantling misconceptions of AI as a black box.
From ACM Opinion
Paving the Way Towards Trustworthy and Responsible AI
Public sector AI innovation needs a more sophisticated, data-driven, and mature approach to ensure effectiveness of governments and better citizen outcomes.
From ACM Opinion
97 Things Every Java Developer Should Know
Book authors discuss compilation featuring expert advice from Java leaders and practitioners.
From ACM Opinion
Q&A with Google's Bill Magro
Google's new chief technologist of HPC talks quantum computers, AI, cloud, silicone packaging, interconnect technology, and expanding HPC's reach.
From ACM Opinion
Lethal Autonomous Weapons Exist; They Must Be Banned
It may not be too late to put the evil "slaughterbots" genie back in the bottle, if the world acts now.
From ACM Opinion
How Do We Stop the Supercomputing Carbon Crisis?
Efficiency measures are struggling to keep pace with, let alone make headway on, the accelerating demands of modern supercomputers.
From ACM Opinion
An Interview with Jim Keller: 'The Laziest Person at Tesla'
Veteran chip designer covers his past lives, Moore's Law, AI-designed chips, security, ethics, and more.
From ACM Opinion
Neo4j's $325 Million Venture Suggests Databases Are Cool Again
Relational databases aren't dead, but database innovation is cropping up in all sorts of places now, including graph databases.
From ACM Opinion
The Next Critical Talent Shortage Won't Be Fortran
To understand where talent shortages might arise, look at critical infrastructure.
From ACM Opinion
Why the Title of Your Paper Matters
Titles are the first, and often the only, part of your paper that others will read.
From ACM Opinion
Large Language Models Associate Muslims with Violence
New approaches are needed to systematically reduce the harmful bias of language models in deployment.
From ACM Opinion
Research Collaborations Bring Big Rewards: The World Needs More
We need diverse teams collaborating to help navigate and overcome social and geopolitical challenges.
From ACM Opinion
Google's AI Approach to Microchips Is Welcome—but Needs Care
Artificial intelligence can help the electronics industry to speed up chip design. But the gains must be shared equitably.
From ACM Opinion
The Coming Productivity Boom
AI and other digital technologies have been surprisingly slow to improve economic growth. But that could be about to change.
From ACM Opinion
The Brutal Truth About Bitcoin
Are cryptocurrencies the wave of the future and should you be using and investing in them?
From ACM Opinion
As Science Advances, Does Ockham's Razor Still Apply?
The notion that the simpler explanation is usually right has been useful for centuries. New science may change that.
From ACM Opinion
When AI Becomes Child's Play
Algorithms trained in pattern recognition struggle to understand kids.
From ACM Opinion
Amid a Pandemic, a Health Care Algorithm Shows Promise and Peril
A machine learning-based score designed to aid triage decisions is gaining in popularity, but lacking in transparency.
From ACM Opinion
Climate Policy Models Need to Get Real About People—Here's How
To predict how society and political systems might actually respond to warming, upgrade integrated assessment models.
From ACM Opinion
Wanted: Rules for Pandemic Data Access That Everyone Can Trust
In the wake of COVID-19, a pandemic treaty could be a way to agree on data access before the next emergency strikes.
From ACM Opinion
What Makes Quantum Computing So Hard to Explain?
To understand what quantum computers can do—and what they can’t—avoid falling for overly simple explanations.
From ACM Opinion
Are We Waiting for Everyone to Get Hacked?
Leon Panetta is one of the few American government officials who can look around at the nation's rolling cyberdisasters and justifiably say, “I told you so.”
From ACM Opinion
The U.S. Needs a National Strategic Computing Reserve
One year after supercomputers worked together to fight COVID-19, it's time to broaden the partnership to prepare for other crises.
From ACM Opinion
Does AI Have an Alignment Problem?
The problems and the possibilities of AI are, in a very deep way, the problems and possibilities of humanity.
From ACM Opinion
Reward Is Enough for Generalized AI
The generic objective of maximizing reward is enough to drive behavior that exhibits most abilities studied in natural and artificial intelligence.
From ACM Opinion
Reducing Racial Bias in AI Models for Clinical Use
To fully address the issue of racial bias in AI models for clinical use, a top-down intervention is required.
From ACM Opinion
First Science Adviser in Biden Cabinet Talks COVID, Spying, and More
As a member of the Biden cabinet, new OSTP Director Eric Lander may have more access and influence than any science adviser before him.
From ACM Opinion
Polarized Scientific Views Are Worse Than Ever
Interactions between science and politics are now so complex, so numerous, and often so opaque that it’s not clear anymore whom to trust.
From ACM Opinion
Getting More People With Disabilities Developing Technology Is Good for Everyone
It's not just a matter of fairness and inclusion. Accessible technology is generally better for everyone.