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Why Robots Need to Be Able to Say 'no'
From ACM Opinion

Why Robots Need to Be Able to Say 'no'

Should you always do what other people tell you to do?

When Is the Singularity? Probably Not in Your Lifetime
From ACM Opinion

When Is the Singularity? Probably Not in Your Lifetime

Misconception: Computers will outstrip human capabilities within many of our lifetimes.

To Beat Go Champion, Google's Program Needed a Human Army
From ACM Opinion

To Beat Go Champion, Google's Program Needed a Human Army

Nearly 20 years ago, after a chess-playing computer called Deep Blue beat the world grandmaster Garry Kasparov, I wrote an article about why humans would long remain...

Is Alphago Really Such a Big Deal?
From ACM Opinion

Is Alphago Really Such a Big Deal?

In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue system defeated the world chess champion, Garry Kasparov.

­se or Lose Our Navigation Skills
From ACM Opinion

­se or Lose Our Navigation Skills

In 1984, I was part of a team that was developing a receiver for a satellite-navigation system. After weeks of debugging, the blur of random digits settled on a...

GNL Is Not Linux
From Communications of the ACM

GNL Is Not Linux

What's in a name?

Explosive Golf Video Game Has the Best Physics Simulation Ever
From ACM Opinion

Explosive Golf Video Game Has the Best Physics Simulation Ever

Before teeing off, I take a few seconds to line up the shot.

Self-Driving Cars Won't Work ­ntil We Change Our Roads—and Attitudes
From ACM Opinion

Self-Driving Cars Won't Work ­ntil We Change Our Roads—and Attitudes

Autonomous vehicles will join human drivers on our roads sooner than most people think.

After Alphago, What's Next For Ai?
From ACM Opinion

After Alphago, What's Next For Ai?

AlphaGo's victories against legendary Go player Lee Se-dol over the last few days mark a major milestone in AI research.

A Computer Takes On a Human Master of the Board Game Go
From ACM Opinion

A Computer Takes On a Human Master of the Board Game Go

In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue computer defeated the world chess champion Garry Kasparov. It was a momentous occasion for artificial intelligence, showing how far a clever...

Why We Love the Games That Enrage ­S Most
From ACM Opinion

Why We Love the Games That Enrage ­S Most

One afternoon last fall a Reddit user with the handle "FranktheShank1" was enjoying a new video game on his PlayStation 4.

Toward the End of Pilots
From ACM Opinion

Toward the End of Pilots

A memory that’s stayed with me from my stint in the military nearly 50 years ago is a sign that my supply sergeant kept on his desk: "We’ve been working with less...

A Plan in Case Robots Take the Jobs: Give Everyone a Paycheck
From ACM Opinion

A Plan in Case Robots Take the Jobs: Give Everyone a Paycheck

Let's say computers come for most of our jobs. This may not seem likely at the moment; computer scientists and economists offer wildly varying ideas for how deeply...

Can Google's Driverless Car Project Survive a Fatal Accident?
From ACM Opinion

Can Google's Driverless Car Project Survive a Fatal Accident?

Everybody knew this day would come.

Forcing Apple to Hack That Iphone Sets a Dangerous Precedent
From ACM Opinion

Forcing Apple to Hack That Iphone Sets a Dangerous Precedent

Are Apple and other tech companies somehow against America's national security if they create uncrackable encryption software that government investigators or even...

This Is Why People Fear the 'internet of Things'
From ACM Opinion

This Is Why People Fear the 'internet of Things'

Imagine buying an internet-enabled surveillance camera, network attached storage device, or home automation gizmo, only to find that it secretly and constantly...

How to Build an ­nbeatable Poker-Playing Robot
From ACM Opinion

How to Build an ­nbeatable Poker-Playing Robot

Each summer, the computer-science researchers behind the world's best poker-playing robots bring their creations together for a tournament.

To Keep America Safe, Embrace Drone Warfare
From ACM Opinion

To Keep America Safe, Embrace Drone Warfare

"Are you sure they're there?" the decision maker asks. "They" are Qaeda operatives who have been planning attacks against the United States.

Is D-Wave's Quantum Processor Really 10⁸ Times Faster Than a Normal Computer?
From ACM Opinion

Is D-Wave's Quantum Processor Really 10⁸ Times Faster Than a Normal Computer?

We have been following D-Wave's claims about its quantum hardware at Ars for a number of years. Over that time, my impression has oscillated between skepticism,...

Moore's Law Really Is Dead This Time
From ACM Opinion

Moore's Law Really Is Dead This Time

Moore's law has died at the age of 51 after an extended illness.
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