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 Communications of the ACM
Can Generative AI Bots Be Trusted?
It will be a long road to learning how to use generative AI wisely.
From Communications of the ACM
The Context Problem in Artificial Intelligence
The artificial intelligence design challenge of teaming humans and machines is difficult because machines cannot read the context of use.
From Communications of the ACM
Involvement and Detachment
How detachment from your community blocks your success at leading innovations, and what to do about it.
From Communications of the ACM
Systems Abstractions
Computing professionals use powerful abstractions to tame complexity in large software systems and distributed networks.
From Communications of the ACM
Back of the Envelope
Back-of-the-envelope calculations are a powerful professional practice.
From Communications of the ACM
Science Is Not Another Opinion
The issue is not who has the "truth," but whose claims deserve more credence.
From Communications of the ACM
Avalanches Make Us All Innovators
Avalanches generate enormous breakdowns. The practices of innovation adoption may be just what you need to resolve them.
From Communications of the ACM
Technology Adoption
The S-shaped curve of technology adoption is a welcome recurrence in an otherwise chaotic adoption world.
From Communications of the ACM
Why Our Theories of Innovation Fail Us
Until we moderate our fascination with creating ideas, we will not achieve the rate of innovations we seek.
From Communications of the ACM
Automated Education and the Professional
Technology boffins argue the new technologies of intelligent personal learning environments will put universities out of business. Will the purported successor,...
From Communications of the ACM
Emergent Innovation
Fernando Flores, president of Chile's National Innovation Council for Competitiveness, discusses a new common sense about innovation.
From Communications of the ACM
A Technician Shortage
In our elation about rising CS enrollments, we are overlooking a growing shortage of computing technicians. Our education system is not responding to this need.
From Communications of the ACM
The Whole Professional
A new book inspires a reflection on what it means to be a whole, competent, and effective professional — and may portend a wave of disruption in education.
From Communications of the ACM
Learning For the New Digital Age
Digital machines are automating knowledge work at an accelerating pace. How shall we learn and stay relevant?
From Communications of the ACM
Avalanches Are Coming
Computing technology has generated conditions for radical transformations of jobs and professions — including education. How shall we cope?
From Communications of the ACM
'Surfing Toward the Future'
A new report from Chile about improving economic competitiveness advances a novel interpretation of innovation. Timing is everything.
From Communications of the ACM
Design Thinking
Design thinking is the newest fashion for finding better solutions to problems. Combining it with computational thinking offers some real possibilities for improving...
From Communications of the ACM
The Other Side of Language
The conversation for action gives a framework for completing professional actions effectively.
From Communications of the ACM
Thumb Numbers
Rules of thumb stated as numerical rules are enticing, but many are folk theorems that may not apply in your critical situation.12