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The Privacy Problem with Digital Assistants
From ACM Opinion

The Privacy Problem with Digital Assistants

For the last century, we've imagined a future where we're surrounded by robotic butlers that are classy, smart, and discreet.

Checklist of Worst-Case Scenarios Could Help Prepare For Evil AI
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...

Why Seti Researchers Must Change the Way They Announce First Contact
From ACM Opinion

Why Seti Researchers Must Change the Way They Announce First Contact

One of humanity’s most significant events will be the discovery of intelligent life elsewhere in universe. Back in the 1980s, a group of astronomers involved in...

Q&A: Finding New Directions in Cryptography
From Communications of the ACM

Q&A: Finding New Directions in Cryptography

Whitfield Diffie and Martin Hellman on their meeting, their research, and the results that billions use every day.

A Byte Is All We Need
From Communications of the ACM

A Byte Is All We Need

A teenager explores ways to attract girls into the magical world of computer science.

Privacy Is Dead, Long Live Privacy
From Communications of the ACM

Privacy Is Dead, Long Live Privacy

Protecting social norms as confidentiality wanes.

Computer Science Should Stay Young
From Communications of the ACM

Computer Science Should Stay Young

Seeking to improve computer science publication culture while retaining the best aspects of the conference and journal publication processes.

An Interview with Yale Patt
From Communications of the ACM

An Interview with Yale Patt

ACM Fellow Professor Yale Patt reflects on his career in industry and academia.

An Interview with Yale Patt
From Communications of the ACM

An Interview with Yale Patt

ACM Fellow Professor Yale Patt reflects on his career in industry and academia.

How to Produce Innovations
From Communications of the ACM

How to Produce Innovations

Making innovations happen is surprisingly easy, satisfying, and rewarding if you start small and build up.

What Are You Trying to Pull?
From Communications of the ACM

What Are You Trying to Pull?

A single cache miss is more expensive than many instructions.

The Risks of Self-Auditing Systems
From Communications of the ACM

The Risks of Self-Auditing Systems

Unforeseen problems can result from the absence of impartial independent evaluations.

The Oracle-Google Case Will Decide the Future of Software
From ACM Opinion

The Oracle-Google Case Will Decide the Future of Software

The legal battle  between Oracle and Google is about to come to an end. And nothing less is as stake than the future of programming.

To Write Better Code, Read Virginia Woolf
From ACM Opinion

To Write Better Code, Read Virginia Woolf

The humanities are kaput. Sorry, liberal arts cap-and-gowners. You blew it. In a software-run world, what's wanted are more engineers.

My 10 Favorite Books: Bill Gates
From ACM Opinion

My 10 Favorite Books: Bill Gates

"Seveneves," Neal Stephenson: This novel about how the human race responds to the end of life on Earth rekindled my love for sci-fi. Some readers will lose patience...

Let's Hope Drone ­sers All Follow These 8 Simple Government Guidelines
From ACM Opinion

Let's Hope Drone ­sers All Follow These 8 Simple Government Guidelines

Don't be a jerk. That's essentially what a new set of U.S. government guidelines boils down to when it comes to flying drones.

Nasa and the Author of 'the Martian' Tell ­s Exactly How We'll Get to Mars
From ACM Opinion

Nasa and the Author of 'the Martian' Tell ­s Exactly How We'll Get to Mars

In "The Martian," Matt Damon plays a NASA astronaut who's been stranded on Mars and has to figure out how to survive until the space agency can devise a daring...

Google Doubles Down on AI
From ACM Opinion

Google Doubles Down on AI

Google announced something for everyone yesterday at its 10th annual I/O developer conference.

How Will Virtual Reality Change Our Lives?
From ACM Opinion

How Will Virtual Reality Change Our Lives?

And it's not just gamers who are benefiting from the immersive possibilities it offers.

Eske Willerslev Is Rewriting History With Dna
From ACM Opinion

Eske Willerslev Is Rewriting History With Dna

As a boy growing up in Denmark, Eske Willerslev could not wait to leave Gentofte, his suburban hometown. As soon as he was old enough, he would strike out for the...
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