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Algorithms Aren't Biased, But the People Who Write Them May Be
From ACM Opinion

Algorithms Aren't Biased, But the People Who Write Them May Be

A provocative new book called "Weapons of Math Destruction" has inspired some charged headlines. But author Cathy O'Neil's message is subtle: Math isn't biased....

George Orwell Never Dreamed of Advertising as Invasive as Yahoo's Proposal
From ACM Opinion

George Orwell Never Dreamed of Advertising as Invasive as Yahoo's Proposal

Yahoo wants to take advertising to the next level—that is, the Orwellian level—bombarding people in public places with targeted advertising served up by the surveillance...

There Is a Blind Spot in AI Research
From ACM Opinion

There Is a Blind Spot in AI Research

This week, the White House published its report on the future of artificial intelligence (AI)—a product of four workshops held between May and July 2016 in Seattle...

Russian Hacking Crisis Tests Obama's Nerve
From ACM Opinion

Russian Hacking Crisis Tests Obama's Nerve

President Barack Obama came under immediate pressure Friday night to punish Russia for hacking into US political institutions—with calls to rally European allies...

Surveillance in the Post-Obama Era
From ACM Opinion

Surveillance in the Post-Obama Era

During his 2008 campaign, President Obama vowed to assert greater oversight of the massive surveillance apparatus built in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, arguing...

Google Is Listening
From ACM Opinion

Google Is Listening

You know the cliché that if you're not paying for the product, you are the product?

Would It Be Ethical to Implant False Memories in Therapy?
From ACM Opinion

Would It Be Ethical to Implant False Memories in Therapy?

Take a moment to remember an event that you experienced as a child.

Y2k 2.0: Is the ­.s. Government Set to 'give Away the Internet' Saturday?
From ACM Opinion

Y2k 2.0: Is the ­.s. Government Set to 'give Away the Internet' Saturday?

Remember the projected Y2K bug disaster? The world's computers would supposedly go haywire as the clock ticked to January 1, 2000, thus destroying the world and...

Grading the Presidential Candidates on Science
From ACM Opinion

Grading the Presidential Candidates on Science

Two weeks ago, Scientific American asked for your help in grading the presidential candidates on their answers to 20 questions about various aspects of scientific...

The Internet Is No Place For Public Elections
From ACM Opinion

The Internet Is No Place For Public Elections

Despite what your local election officials may tell you, you can’t trust the Internet with your vote.

Ted Cruz Is Wrong About How Free Speech Is Censored on the Internet
From ACM Opinion

Ted Cruz Is Wrong About How Free Speech Is Censored on the Internet

Sen. Ted Cruz wants to engineer a United States takeover of a key Internet organization, ICANN, in the name of protecting freedom of expression.

Universities and Computer Science in the European Crisis of Refugees
From Communications of the ACM

Universities and Computer Science in the European Crisis of Refugees

Considering the role of universities in promoting tolerance as well as education.

Mobile Computing and Political Transformation
From Communications of the ACM

Mobile Computing and Political Transformation

Connecting increased mobile phone usage with political and market liberalization.

The Puzzle of Japanese Innovation and Entrepreneurship
From Communications of the ACM

The Puzzle of Japanese Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Exploring how Japan's unique mixture of social, educational, and corporate practices influence entrepreneurial activity.

For the Debaters: What Shall We Do About the Tech Careening Our Way?
From ACM Opinion

For the Debaters: What Shall We Do About the Tech Careening Our Way?

Here's a question I’m hoping comes up at Monday's presidential debate: Secretary Clinton and Mr. Trump, what would you do about self-driving trucks?

The Cold War Is Over. The Cyber War Has Begun.
From ACM Opinion

The Cold War Is Over. The Cyber War Has Begun.

Contemplating Russian nuclear threats during the Cold War, the strategist Herman Kahn calibrated a macabre ladder of escalation, with 44 rungs ranging from "Ostensible...

'just Because We Can With Data, Doesn't Mean We Should'
From ACM Opinion

'just Because We Can With Data, Doesn't Mean We Should'

Data scientists should have a strong moral compass in order to handle big data, according to DJ Patil, deputy chief technology officer for data policy and chief...

The Leaky Myths of Snowden
From ACM Opinion

The Leaky Myths of Snowden

Oliver Stone's Snowden is a bad movie, stuffed with myth, short on drama.

Neither Hillary Clinton Nor Donald Trump Is Tech Savvy
From ACM Opinion

Neither Hillary Clinton Nor Donald Trump Is Tech Savvy

Rachel Law, the 20-something co-founder of a New York startup called Kip, is sitting next to me at a café, tapping her phone screen to show how the company’s service...

Why Scientists Must Share Their Research Code
From ACM Opinion

Why Scientists Must Share Their Research Code

Many scientists worry over the reproducibility of wet-lab experiments, but data scientist Victoria Stodden's focus is on how to validate computational research:...
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