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subjectComputers And Society
authorThe Washington Post
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U.S. Science and Technology Offer Hope for the Future
From ACM Opinion

U.S. Science and Technology Offer Hope for the Future

The scientific advances announced in recent months are thrilling, capable of sustaining our economic and military competitiveness for decades to come.

The New AI Writing Tool Might Teach Us the Value of Truth
From ACM Opinion

The New AI Writing Tool Might Teach Us the Value of Truth

AI literally does not care what is true.

How AI Could Accidentally Extinguish Humankind
From ACM Opinion

How AI Could Accidentally Extinguish Humankind

Humanity is not prepared for artificial superintelligence right now.

Don't Give Your Dot-org Domain Away to a Private Company
From ACM Opinion

Don't Give Your Dot-org Domain Away to a Private Company

One of the Internet's most trusted assets — the dot-org domain used by nonprofits from UNICEF to your local food bank — is being hijacked.

Is Julian Assange a Journalist, or Is He Just an Accused Thief?
From ACM Opinion

Is Julian Assange a Journalist, or Is He Just an Accused Thief?

Is Julian Assange a journalist? The Justice Department sidestepped that question in its indictment of Assange.

­U.S. Allies Should Heed the Warnings about Huawei
From ACM Opinion

­U.S. Allies Should Heed the Warnings about Huawei

In a recent newspaper advertisement, the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei appealed to common sense.

Why Scientists Sometimes Make Extraordinary Claims
From ACM Opinion

Why Scientists Sometimes Make Extraordinary Claims

The interstellar object known as 'Oumuamua plunged into our solar system in 2017, leaving a trail of mystery in its wake.

The New Censors Won't Delete Your Words; They'll Drown Them Out
From ACM Opinion

The New Censors Won't Delete Your Words; They'll Drown Them Out

Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth. Each day, the hero of George Orwell's "1984" "corrects" old newspapers to make sure that the information is in still...

Happy 18th Birthday, Wikipedia. Let's Celebrate the Internet's Good Grown-­p.
From ACM Opinion

Happy 18th Birthday, Wikipedia. Let's Celebrate the Internet's Good Grown-­p.

On Tuesday, Wikipedia celebrates its 18th birthday. If the massive crowdsourced encyclopedia project were human, then in most countries, it would just now be considered...

A Reason to Despair About the Digital Future: Deepfakes
From ACM Opinion

A Reason to Despair About the Digital Future: Deepfakes

A despairing prediction for the digital future came from an unlikely source recently. Speaking of "deepfakes," or media manipulated through artificial intelligence...

How Russia ­sed the Internet to Perfect Its Dark Arts
From ACM Opinion

How Russia ­sed the Internet to Perfect Its Dark Arts

Imagine American politics for a moment as a laboratory experiment. A foreign adversary (let's call it "Russia") begins to play with the subjects, using carrots...

I Fell for Facebook Fake News. Here's Why Millions of You Did, Too.
From ACM Opinion

I Fell for Facebook Fake News. Here's Why Millions of You Did, Too.

The Facebook video is nuts, but I can't tear my eyes away. A plane, struggling in a huge storm, does a 360-degree flip before safely landing and letting out terrified...

Here's What We Know about Google's Mysterious Search Engine
From ACM News

Here's What We Know about Google's Mysterious Search Engine

President Trump thinks Google's search engine is "rigged." By featuring more mainstream news outlets and relatively fewer conservative sites in the results he sees...

Google's China Plan Isn't Just Evil, It's Bad for Business
From ACM Opinion

Google's China Plan Isn't Just Evil, It's Bad for Business

Google is proposing a new Faustian bargain with the Chinese government that isn't just morally wrong; it's also terrible for business. Experience has shown that...

What Was on a ­SB Fan Given at the Trump-Kim Summit? Security Experts Say Nothing, but Don't Plug It In.
From ACM Opinion

What Was on a ­SB Fan Given at the Trump-Kim Summit? Security Experts Say Nothing, but Don't Plug It In.

When journalists arrived in Singapore for the historic summit between President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month, security experts were alarmed...

The ­.S. Once Again Has the World's Fastest Supercomputer. Keep ­p the Hustle.
From ACM Opinion

The ­.S. Once Again Has the World's Fastest Supercomputer. Keep ­p the Hustle.

The United States has knocked China out of the No. 1 position in supercomputing.

The Supreme Court Just Struck a Blow Against Mass Surveillance
From ACM Opinion

The Supreme Court Just Struck a Blow Against Mass Surveillance

The Supreme Court decided Friday that cell-site location information is protected by the Fourth Amendment's guarantee against unreasonable searches and seizures...

Someone Is Watching You
From ACM Opinion

Someone Is Watching You

Isn't technology wonderful? At Purdue University, the same IT infrastructure that enables us to manage student assignments and grades, operate residential and dining...

They Survived a School Shooting Only to Wage Battle in Some of the Nastiest Corners of the Internet
From ACM Opinion

They Survived a School Shooting Only to Wage Battle in Some of the Nastiest Corners of the Internet

In person, Sarah Chadwick and Jaclyn Corin are fierce. And young.

Don't Blame China, Mr. President. Blame the Robots.
From ACM Opinion

Don't Blame China, Mr. President. Blame the Robots.

Mr. President, if you're looking for someone to demonize for killing blue-collar jobs in your favorite industries, don't blame China and "bad trade deals." Blame...
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