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Bringing Precision to the AI Safety Discussion
From ACM Opinion

Bringing Precision to the AI Safety Discussion

We believe that AI technologies are likely to be overwhelmingly useful and beneficial for humanity. But part of being a responsible steward of any new technology...

Basic Income: A Sellout of the American Dream
From ACM Opinion

Basic Income: A Sellout of the American Dream

Matt Krisiloff is in a small, glass-walled conference room off the lobby of Y Combinator’s office in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, shouting distance...

Orlando Shows the Limits of Facebook's Terror Policing
From ACM Opinion

Orlando Shows the Limits of Facebook's Terror Policing

Both leading up to and during his deadly assault on Orlando night club Pulse, Omar Mateen accessed his Facebook account.

Too Cute For Their Own Good, Robots Get Self-Defense Instincts
From ACM Opinion

Too Cute For Their Own Good, Robots Get Self-Defense Instincts

At a shopping mall here one recent Friday, six-year-old Ruby Dowling made friends with a friendly egg-shaped robot.

For the Golden State Warriors, Brain-Zapping Could Provide an Edge
From ACM Opinion

For the Golden State Warriors, Brain-Zapping Could Provide an Edge

Back in March, James Michael McAdoo, the power forward for the Golden State Warriors, tweeted out a photo of himself in the training room, sporting a pair of slick...

Losing Control: The Dangers of Killer Robots
From ACM Opinion

Losing Control: The Dangers of Killer Robots

New technology could lead humans to relinquish control over decisions to use lethal force.

What Happens If Gps Fails?
From ACM Opinion

What Happens If Gps Fails?

In only took thirteen millionths of a second to cause a whole lot of problems.

What Are the Odds We Are Living in a Computer Simulation?
From ACM Opinion

What Are the Odds We Are Living in a Computer Simulation?

Last week, Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla Motors, SpaceX, and other cutting-edge companies, took a surprising question at the Code Conference, a technology...

Will the Constitution Protect Your Next Smartphone?
From ACM Opinion

Will the Constitution Protect Your Next Smartphone?

More than a decade ago, the keynote speaker at a major annual cybersecurity conference strode into the spotlight and predicted the death of the password.

The All-American Iphone
From ACM Opinion

The All-American Iphone

Donald Trump says that if he becomes president, he will "get Apple to start making their computers and their iPhones on our land, not in China." Bernie ­Sanders...

Jobs Threatened By Machines: A Once 'stupid' Concern Gains Respect
From ACM Opinion

Jobs Threatened By Machines: A Once 'stupid' Concern Gains Respect

They replaced horses, didn't they? That's how the late, great economist Wassily Leontief responded 35 years ago to those who argued technology would never really...

How New Technology Is Illuminating a Classic Ethical Dilemma
From ACM Opinion

How New Technology Is Illuminating a Classic Ethical Dilemma

On a pleaant Friday afternoon in April, the grassy quadrangle at the center of the Carnegie Mellon University campus is buzzing with activity.

Dear Apple: Please ­se These Ideas to Modernize the Mac
From ACM Opinion

Dear Apple: Please ­se These Ideas to Modernize the Mac

I took a vacation last month. I traveled some. I read a lot. And I refurbished an old late 2008 MacBook Pro, one of the original aluminum unibody models.

To Beat the Blues, Visits Must Be Real, Not Virtual
From ACM Opinion

To Beat the Blues, Visits Must Be Real, Not Virtual

Imagine being stranded on a desert island with a roof over your head and sufficient provisions—but no human contact other than what you can get from your smartphone...

Elegy For the Capital-I Internet
From ACM Opinion

Elegy For the Capital-I Internet

We've long stopped referring to the Internet as "the information superhighway," but there was a reason for the metaphor.

The Real Reason America Controls Its Nukes with Ancient Floppy Disks
From ACM Opinion

The Real Reason America Controls Its Nukes with Ancient Floppy Disks

America's nuclear arsenal depends on a surprising relic of the 1970s that few of us may recall: the humble floppy disk.

The Woeful Tsa Doesn't Need More Staff. It Needs This Tech
From ACM Opinion

The Woeful Tsa Doesn't Need More Staff. It Needs This Tech

American airport security has never been something to look forward to, but in the past few weeks, it's attained new levels of misery.

Smart Tampon? The Internet of Every Single Thing Must Be Stopped
From ACM Opinion

Smart Tampon? The Internet of Every Single Thing Must Be Stopped

Let's play a game. Which of the following is a real smartphone-connected product?

The Privacy Problem with Digital Assistants
From ACM Opinion

The Privacy Problem with Digital Assistants

For the last century, we've imagined a future where we're surrounded by robotic butlers that are classy, smart, and discreet.

Google Doubles Down on AI
From ACM Opinion

Google Doubles Down on AI

Google announced something for everyone yesterday at its 10th annual I/O developer conference.
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