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
Who Is Liable when AI Kills?
We need to change rules and institutions while still promoting innovation to protect people from faulty artificial intelligence.
From ACM Opinion
Political Affiliation Influences Our Fear of Data Collection
It's not government Americans don't trust with their data; it's the opposite political party.
From ACM Opinion
It's Time to Open the Black Box of Social Media
Social media cos. need to give their data to independent researchers to better understand how to keep users safe.
From ACM Opinion
The FDA Should Better Regulate Medical Algorithms
Most do not require the agency's approval, and those that do often don't require clinical trial
From ACM Opinion
Don't Regulate Artificial Intelligence: Starve It
The potential dangers of artificial intelligence are great enough to required great care about how powerful we allow it to become.
From ACM Opinion
STEM Education Needs a Course Correction
Technical training today should not be solely in the business of making better coders but of making better people who will be able to cultivate the future.
From ACM Opinion
Virtual Reality Has An Accessibility Problem
Virtual reality has been touted as an "empathy machine" that lets users see what it's like to have a disability—but people with disabilities often can't use it....
From ACM Opinion
Don't Kill Innovation With Excessive Regulation
California's new law forcing ride-sharing companies to treat their drivers as employees could harm or kill an important new business model.
From ACM Opinion
How STEM Education Must Evolve
STEM curricula must be enhanced so graduates have a deeper understanding of how their work affects humanity.
From ACM Opinion
Our Disabilities Have Made s Better Scientists
Scientific research is rarely designed to accommodate scientists with medical conditions or disabilities.
From ACM Opinion
Don't Let Robots Pull the Trigger
The killer machines are coming. Robotic weapons that target and destroy without human supervision are poised to start a revolution in warfare comparable to the...
From ACM Opinion
Electronic Contracts and the Illusion of Consent
Q: What do you do when you see a little button on a webpage or app screen that says I agree?
From ACM Opinion
The Vulnerabilities of Our Voting Machines
A few weeks ago computer scientist J. Alex Halderman rolled an electronic voting machine onto a Massachusetts Institute of Technology stage and demonstrated how...
From ACM Opinion
Clicks, Lies and Videotape
This past April a new video of Barack Obama surfaced on the Internet. Against a backdrop that included both the American and presidential flags, it looked like...
From ACM Opinion
Will L.A.'s Anti-Terrorist Subway Scanners Be Adopted Everywhere?
In mid-August the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Transportation Security Administration announced Metro has paid $100,000 each...
From ACM Opinion
What Worries People about Future Science and Tech Innovations?
Many Americans see the future crowding into the present and some of the innovations ahead unnerve them, especially as they reshape ideas about human dominion.
From ACM Opinion
Are We Ready for the Future of Warfare?
Warfare has always been about exerting political will.
From ACM Opinion
Are Blockchains the Answer for Secure Elections? Probably Not
With the U.S. heading into a pivotal midterm election, little progress has been made on ensuring the integrity of voting systems—a concern that retook the spotlight...
From ACM Opinion
A Conversation With the Only Scientist in Congress
How does it feel to be the only scientist in Congress? Lonely.
From ACM Opinion