Communications of the ACM
Generative AI Degrades Online Communities
How large language models are influencing online communities.
From ACM Opinion
Playing War: How the Military ses Video Games
According to popular discourse, video games are either the divine instrument of education’s future or the software of Satan himself, provoking young men to carry...
From ACM Opinion
Yep, Apple's A7 Looks Twice As Fast–at Least For Fractal Math
Is Apple's A7 chip twice as fast at processing and graphics, as Apple promised when announcing the new iPhone 5S?
From ACM Opinion
The Double Danger of the Nsa's 'collect It All' Policy on Surveillance
By now, most people are aware that the NSA collects massive amounts of information on ordinary Americans.
From ACM Opinion
The Evil Genius of Fantasy Football
Watching football means watching young men damage their brains.
From ACM Opinion
Here's Why Cops Should Be Required to Wear a Lapel Camera While on Duty
Police officers in Rialto, Calif., carry cameras to record their every action while on duty.
From ACM Opinion
The Many Meanings of Open
I was recently asked to talk about the idea of "open," and I realized the term is used in at least eight different ways.
From ACM Opinion
Nobel Prizes 2013: Computer Models That Can Mimic Life
We talk about computer modeling a lot in the context of climate science—powerful algorithms that help scientists get a better idea of how climate systems work,...
From ACM Opinion
Want to Evade Nsa Spying? Don't Connect to the Internet
Since I started working with Snowden’s documents, I have been using a number of tools to try to stay secure from the NSA.
From ACM Opinion
A Second Look at the 'second Screen'
Social-media enthusiasts, especially those on Twitter, tend to think their hobby is more popular than it really is. If you're on Twitter a lot, and the people you...
From ACM Opinion
Humans 1, Robots 0
Computers seem to be replacing humans across many industries, and we're all getting very nervous.
From ACM Opinion
Google in Jeopardy: What If IBM's Watson Dethroned the King of Search?
Remember Watson, IBM's Jeopardy! champion?
From ACM Opinion
How Tom Clancy Changed Video Games
The widespread mourning of Tom Clancy's death last week is clear testament to a man who managed to have a significant impact across a range of media.
From ACM Opinion
Rage Against the Algorithms
When was the last time you read an online review about a local business or service on a platform like Yelp?
From ACM Opinion
The Lessons of Aaron Swartz
On the day after Aaron Swartz's death in January, President Reif and I spoke about how MIT might respond to the breaking news of his suicide.
From ACM Opinion
How to Manage Your Digital Afterlife
After their son's suicide, one Wisconsin couple was desperate for answers.
From ACM Careers
Students Are 'hacking' Their School-Issued Ipads: Good For Them
Almost immediately after receiving their new school-issued iPads this fall, students in Indiana and in California (and probably elsewhere) managed to bypass the...
From ACM Opinion
Frax App Brings Fractal-Exploration Glory to iOS
In 1983, intrigued by an article on fractals, I wrote a program to display the Mandelbrot set on my family's TRS-80 Color Computer.
From ACM Opinion