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Presenting Robots As People Stops ­s Thinking Clearly About AI
From ACM Opinion

Presenting Robots As People Stops ­s Thinking Clearly About AI

Last week, Pepper the robot spoke before Parliament, but this kind of stunt distracts from the real issues AI provokes.

Why the Iphone X's Face Id Is a Terrible Way to Secure Your Data
From ACM Opinion

Why the Iphone X's Face Id Is a Terrible Way to Secure Your Data

The new iPhone X puts face recognition front and centre. Why? Because it is the quickest and easiest way to unlock your phone.

The Darkening Web: Misinformation Is the Strongest Cyberweapon
From ACM Opinion

The Darkening Web: Misinformation Is the Strongest Cyberweapon

In late June, I was leaving for a flight from Kiev's Boryspil Airport as news broke that Ukraine was the victim of another massive cyberattack.

We Can Stop Hacking and Trolls, but It Would Ruin the Internet
From ACM Opinion

We Can Stop Hacking and Trolls, but It Would Ruin the Internet

Cyberterrorism fears are through the roof.

Who Do We Think We Are?
From ACM Opinion

Who Do We Think We Are?

"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee; Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow; Die not, poor Death...

David and Goliath: What Do We Do About Surveillance?
From ACM Opinion

David and Goliath: What Do We Do About Surveillance?

"Dear subscriber, you have been registered as a participant in a mass disturbance."

Work in an Age of Robots
From ACM Opinion

Work in an Age of Robots

What you are about to read was written by a human. Honest.

How Big Data Algorithms See ­s—while They Eat ­S ­p
From ACM Opinion

How Big Data Algorithms See ­s—while They Eat ­S ­p

Four years ago I interviewed Sam Yagan, then CEO of OKCupid, about the mathematics underlying his free matchmaking site.

Defending the Grand Vision of the Human Brain Project
From ACM Opinion

Defending the Grand Vision of the Human Brain Project

"A grass roots effort is under way to stop the project... 'Mediocre science, terrible science policy,' begins the spirited letter…"

Why Electric Car Maker Tesla Has Torn ­p Its Patents
From ACM Opinion

Why Electric Car Maker Tesla Has Torn ­p Its Patents

Why is Tesla opening up its patents to competitors? Because rival electric car makers are not the enemy — petrol stations are.

Maths Spying: The Quandary of Working For the Spooks
From ACM Opinion

Maths Spying: The Quandary of Working For the Spooks

For the past 10 months, a major international scandal has engulfed some of the world's largest employers of mathematicians.

Five Ways to Make Sure We Never Lose a Plane Again
From ACM Opinion

Five Ways to Make Sure We Never Lose a Plane Again

For the past few weeks the world's attention has been focussed on the lost Malaysia Airlines plane and its 239 passengers and crew that has apparently crashed in...

Bitcoin: How Its Core Technology Will Change the World
From ACM Opinion

Bitcoin: How Its Core Technology Will Change the World

Bitcoin has been called many things, from the future of money to a drug dealer's dream and everything else in between.

A Stronger 'online Eraser' Law Would Be a Mistake
From ACM Opinion

A Stronger 'online Eraser' Law Would Be a Mistake

Excited teenagers—in other words normal teenagers—have never been famous for consistently wise decisions, nor should they be.

Why a Cyberwar Won't Happen
From ACM Opinion

Why a Cyberwar Won't Happen

Exactly two decades ago, the RAND Corporation, an influential think tank, proclaimed that "cyberwar is coming!"

State of Innovation: Busting the Private-Sector Myth
From ACM Opinion

State of Innovation: Busting the Private-Sector Myth

Images of tech entrepreneurs such as Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs are continually thrown at us by politicians, economists and the media.

The Promise and Perils of a Datafied World
From ACM Opinion

The Promise and Perils of a Datafied World

In a former life I was a research assistant. After painstaking weeks spent gathering data, I was tasked with putting the numbers into a statistics application that...

Patent Could Shackle 3D Printers with Drm
From ACM Opinion

Patent Could Shackle 3D Printers with Drm

One of the greatest benefits of 3D printing technology—the ability to make replacements or parts for household objects like toys, utensils and gadgets—may be denied...

From ACM Opinion

Augmented Reality Offers a New Layer of Intrigue

If you ever come across a photograph of communist-era East Berlin, or modern Pyongyang in North Korea, the cityscapes look drab and featureless. Billboards, advertising...

Was Our Interview with Lulzsec Hacker an Fbi Set-­p?
From ACM Opinion

Was Our Interview with Lulzsec Hacker an Fbi Set-­p?

In the early hours of 30 June last year, my time spent monitoring the Anonymous chat room finally paid off: "Sabu" would grant me an interview. 
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