Communications of the ACM
Innovation Is Overrated: A Provocation
Digital innovation is not working in the interest of the whole of society. It is time to radically rethink its purpose without…
From ACM Opinion
The Pope's AI Adviser on Ensuring Algorithms Respect Human Dignity
Franciscan monk Paolo Benanti is the brains behind the Rome Call, a pact aimed at making sure AI is developed with ethics in mind.
From ACM Opinion
Claims That Girls Have a 'Natural' Aversion to Physics Are Harmful
Girls are just as capable as boys in science and mathematics, but ingrained attitudes are stopping female students from engaging.
From ACM Opinion
Recognize Science's Unsung Global Pioneers to Alter Its Future
Modern science wasn't invented in Europe but came about as part of a global exchange.
From ACM Opinion
David Chalmers: Virtual Reality Is as Real as Real Reality
Philosopher explains how virtual worlds shed light on questions such as what is reality and are we living in a simulation
From ACM Opinion
The Dangers of Treating AI like a God
We should be more critical of those making decisions about how AI is used, says anthropologist Beth Singler
From ACM Opinion
Supersized AIs: Are Truly Intelligent Machines Just a Matter of Scale?
Gigantic neural networks that write with remarkable fluency have led to suggestions that scaling up will usher in ultimately true machine intelligence
From ACM Opinion
The World Is Running Out of Microchips—Here's the Solution
Microchips are produced by a few large companies; an open-source design approach could end their dominance
From ACM Opinion
Presenting Robots As People Stops s Thinking Clearly About AI
Last week, Pepper the robot spoke before Parliament, but this kind of stunt distracts from the real issues AI provokes.
From ACM Opinion
Why the Iphone X's Face Id Is a Terrible Way to Secure Your Data
The new iPhone X puts face recognition front and centre. Why? Because it is the quickest and easiest way to unlock your phone.
From ACM Opinion
The Darkening Web: Misinformation Is the Strongest Cyberweapon
In late June, I was leaving for a flight from Kiev's Boryspil Airport as news broke that Ukraine was the victim of another massive cyberattack.
From ACM Opinion
We Can Stop Hacking and Trolls, but It Would Ruin the Internet
Cyberterrorism fears are through the roof.
From ACM Opinion
Who Do We Think We Are?
"Death, be not proud, though some have called thee; Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow; Die not, poor Death...
From ACM Opinion
Robots Will Be More seful If They Are Made to Lack Confidence
Confidence in your abilities is usually a good thing—as long as you can recognise when it's time to ask for help.
From ACM Opinion
War By Any Means: The Story of DARPA
Shortly after arriving at the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in April 1958, the new chief scientist presented a plan to the agency's director.
From ACM Opinion
Marconi Forged Today's Interconnected World of Communication
At Guglielmo Marconi's grand state funeral in Rome in 1937—orchestrated with military-style pomp by the black-shirted Benito Mussolini—the largest wreath on the...
From ACM Opinion
How Alan Turing Found Machine Thinking in the Human Mind
In 1935, Alan Turing set out to build a reputation by outflanking the world's leading mathematician.
From ACM Opinion
Checklist of Worst-Case Scenarios Could Help Prepare For Evil AI
Artificial intelligence—what's the worst that can happen? For Roman Yampolskiy, a computer scientist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, the sky’s the...
From ACM Opinion
I'm the First Quadriplegic Person to Regain Thought-Control of My Arm
I'm the first quadriplegic person in the world to use my own thoughts to control my own arm. It's a pretty neat experience.
From ACM Opinion
The Hot New Job in Silicon Valley Is Being a Robot's Assistant
"I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords." So goes the joke every time artificial intelligence threatens to supersede humans in another job.
From ACM Opinion