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
AI in Medicine Is Overhyped
AI models for healthcare that predict disease are not as accurate as reports might suggest.
From ACM Opinion
AI Needs Pragmatists and Blue-Sky Visionaries
For humanity's brightest future, the blue-sky, lofty thinkers in AI need the help of the muddy-boots pragmatists.
From ACM Opinion
Should Machines Replace Mathematicians?
A "replication crisis" in mathematics raises questions about the purpose of knowledge.
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
'Self-Driving' Cars Begin to Emerge from a Cloud of Hype
Developers try to overcome a multitude of technical challenges before vehicles drive on their own
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
Are We Really the Smartest Kid on the Cosmic Block?
It is unclear how many intelligent civilizations have arisen in the Milky Way galaxy so far, but if some have, a pressing question comes to mind: Were they or are...
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
AI's Big Challenge
The recently signed executive order establishing the American AI Initiative correctly identifies artificial intelligence as central to American competitiveness...
From ACM Opinion
Be Kind to Extraterrestrials
In his celebrated book On Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau wrote: "We need the tonic of wildness.... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all...
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
Tiny Computers Could Transform Our Lives
Remember Innerspace, the comedy sci-fi movie from the '80s about a microscopic manned pod injected into a human?
From ACM Opinion
Is the .S. Lagging in the Quest for Quantum Computing?
A quantum computer capable of breaking the strongest codes protecting online communications and computer data is highly unlikely to appear within the next decade...
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