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Why We Should Think About the Threat of Artificial Intelligence
From ACM Opinion

Why We Should Think About the Threat of Artificial Intelligence

If the New York Times's latest article is to be believed, artificial intelligence is moving so fast it sometimes seems almost "magical."

Google ­nveils Tools to Access Web From Repressive Countries
From ACM Opinion

Google ­nveils Tools to Access Web From Repressive Countries

Google Ideas, the New York City–based "think/do tank" run by the Internet search giant, is launching several new technologies designed to highlight hacker attacks...

Driverless Cars Are Further Away Than You Think
From ACM Opinion

Driverless Cars Are Further Away Than You Think

A silver BMW 5 Series is weaving through traffic at roughly 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph) on a freeway that cuts northeast through Bavaria between Munich and...

Intelligence Chief Clapper Cites 'casablanca' in Dismissing Merkel Mess
From ACM News

Intelligence Chief Clapper Cites 'casablanca' in Dismissing Merkel Mess

You must remember this: A kiss is just a kiss, a spy is just a spy.

Lavabit Founder Says He Fought Feds to Protect the Constitution
From ACM Opinion

Lavabit Founder Says He Fought Feds to Protect the Constitution

Like a story straight out of the universe of Franz Kafka, Lavabit founder Ladar Levison found himself before a judge in Washington, representing himself against...

All Can Be Lost: The Risk of Putting Our Knowledge in the Hands of Machines
From ACM Opinion

All Can Be Lost: The Risk of Putting Our Knowledge in the Hands of Machines

On the evening of February 12, 2009, a Continental Connection commuter flight made its way through blustery weather between Newark, New Jersey, and Buffalo, New...

The Information-Gathering Paradox
From ACM Opinion

The Information-Gathering Paradox

Consumer trust is a vital currency for every big Internet company, which helps to explain why the giants of Silicon Valley have gone to great lengths in recent...

Are Smartphones Turning ­s Into Bad Samaritans?
From ACM Opinion

Are Smartphones Turning ­s Into Bad Samaritans?

In late September, on a crowded commuter train in San Francisco, a man shot and killed 20-year-old student Justin Valdez.

The Man Who Would Teach Machines to Think
From ACM Opinion

The Man Who Would Teach Machines to Think

"It depends on what you mean by artificial intelligence."

­.k. Official ­rges ­.s. Government to Adopt a Digital Core
From ACM Opinion

­.k. Official ­rges ­.s. Government to Adopt a Digital Core

When he read about the technical failures plaguing HealthCare.gov, Mike Bracken said it felt like a real-life version of the movie Groundhog Day.

The Battle For Power on the Internet
From ACM Opinion

The Battle For Power on the Internet

We're in the middle of an epic battle for power in cyberspace.

Inside Paul Allen's Plan to Reverse-Engineer the Human Brain
From ACM Opinion

Inside Paul Allen's Plan to Reverse-Engineer the Human Brain

In 2003, Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen spent $100 million to build the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle.

The Decline of Wikipedia
From ACM Opinion

The Decline of Wikipedia

The sixth most widely used website in the world is not run anything like the others in the top 10.

Former Nsa Chief: Nsa and ­.s. Cyber Command Are Now 'indistinguishable'
From ACM Opinion

Former Nsa Chief: Nsa and ­.s. Cyber Command Are Now 'indistinguishable'

The public's trust in government has been battered by repeated abuses of power, but it's not the NSA's fault.

Ron Wyden: Lonely Hero of the Battle Against the Surveillance State
From ACM Opinion

Ron Wyden: Lonely Hero of the Battle Against the Surveillance State

When historians write about the civil-liberties crisis of this decade, the story will be full of vivid figures—Bradley, now Chelsea, Manning, the fragile soldier...

Augmented Reality Browsers
From Communications of the ACM

Augmented Reality Browsers: Essential Products or Only Gadgets?

How lessons learned from the evolution of the Web and Web browsers can influence the development of AR browsers.

No Limits to Watching?
From Communications of the ACM

No Limits to Watching?

Considering the ethical questions raised by technologies that are moving from knowing what we are doing (and where) to knowing who we are.

Why I Am ­napologetic About Paywalls or Promotion
From ACM Opinion

Why I Am ­napologetic About Paywalls or Promotion

Late last week I posted a short essay on LinkedIn, where I am an Influencer, called "The best case study you'll ever read."

Twitter: Tweets and Hashtags Will Shape How We Think
From ACM Opinion

Twitter: Tweets and Hashtags Will Shape How We Think

One day, a user of Twitter decided to do something no else had tried before.

Here's Why the Feds Didn't Have More Skilled Programmers For Healthcare.gov
From ACM Opinion

Here's Why the Feds Didn't Have More Skilled Programmers For Healthcare.gov

HealthCare.gov, the Web site at the center of President Obama's federal health insurance exchange, has been plagued with problems since it opened for business Oct...
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