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Facebook's Cyborg Virtual Assistant Is Learning from Its Trainers
From ACM Opinion

Facebook's Cyborg Virtual Assistant Is Learning from Its Trainers

Late last month a few hundred lucky users of Facebook's mobile messaging app got an unusual new contact to talk with: M, a virtual assistant powered by a mixture...

Brynjolfsson and Mcafee: The Jobs that AI Can't Replace
From ACM Opinion

Brynjolfsson and Mcafee: The Jobs that AI Can't Replace

At the heart of capitalism is the concept of creative destruction.

The False Science of Cryonics
From ACM Opinion

The False Science of Cryonics

I woke up on Saturday to a heartbreaking front-page article in the New York Times about a terminally ill young woman who chooses to freeze her brain.

Do We Need to Prepare For the Robot ­prising?
From ACM Opinion

Do We Need to Prepare For the Robot ­prising?

For most of my life, I've been disappointed in robots.

Making AI Work in the Real World
From ACM Opinion

Making AI Work in the Real World

Until recently, AI seemed firmly stuck in the realm of science fiction.

How ­ic Narrows Gender Gap Among Science, Technology Professors
From ACM Opinion

How ­ic Narrows Gender Gap Among Science, Technology Professors

Mitra Dutta, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, explains how a $3.3 million NSF grant has improved UIC's...

Mark Zuckerberg and the End of Language
From ACM Opinion

Mark Zuckerberg and the End of Language

Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg hosted an online Q&A session on his personal Facebook page.

­sing Technology to Break the Speed Barrier of Reading
From ACM Opinion

­sing Technology to Break the Speed Barrier of Reading

I grew up in a tiny New York City apartment, packed in alongside our four cats and my father's immense personal library of some 3000 books.

I've Taught Computers to Paint Portraits — and How to Code
From ACM TechNews

I've Taught Computers to Paint Portraits — and How to Code

Falmouth University professor Simon Colton works with software that behaves in ways that would be deemed creative if observed in humans. In an interview, Colton...

The Next Not-So-Cold War: As Climate Change Heats Arctic, Nations Scramble For Control and Resources
From ACM Opinion

The Next Not-So-Cold War: As Climate Change Heats Arctic, Nations Scramble For Control and Resources

President Barack Obama arrived in Alaska on Monday for a three-day tour during which he will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit the Alaska Arctic.

Hundreds of 'black Hat' English Wikipedia Accounts Blocked Following Investigation
From ACM News

Hundreds of 'black Hat' English Wikipedia Accounts Blocked Following Investigation

After weeks of investigation, volunteer editors on English Wikipedia announced that they blocked 381 user accounts for "black hat" editing.

You Can't ­nderstand Security Without These Classic Works
From ACM Opinion

You Can't ­nderstand Security Without These Classic Works

There are seminal books, movies, articles, and more that you've been meaning to get to but just haven't made the time for.

A Beginner's Guide to Invisibility
From ACM Opinion

A Beginner's Guide to Invisibility

It is possible, according to many sources, to become invisible, but you must be patient, methodical, and willing to eat almost anything.

The Government Needs to Work with Silicon Valley to Create Our Military Future
From ACM Opinion

The Government Needs to Work with Silicon Valley to Create Our Military Future

In 1931, the city fathers of Sunnyvale, California, came up with a unique plan to rescue their town from the doldrums of the Great Depression.

Nine Real Nasa Technologies in 'the Martian'
From ACM News

Nine Real Nasa Technologies in 'the Martian'

Mars has held a central place in human imagination and culture for millennia.

In Search of the Keys to the Virtual City
From ACM Opinion

In Search of the Keys to the Virtual City

I'm not the first man to believe that he might fix London.

Why Neuroscience Needs Hackers
From ACM Opinion

Why Neuroscience Needs Hackers

There was a time when neuroscientists could only dream of having such a problem.

The ­pside of a Downturn in Silicon Valley
From ACM Careers

The ­pside of a Downturn in Silicon Valley

In October 2008, in the early days of the last economic collapse, Sequoia Capital invited founders of technology companies to a frank meeting outlining the new...

Who Won Science Fiction's Hugo Awards, and Why It Matters
From ACM Opinion

Who Won Science Fiction's Hugo Awards, and Why It Matters

Since 1953, to be nominated for a Hugo Award, among the highest honors in science fiction and fantasy writing, has been a dream come true for authors who love time...

Here's Why American Students Don’t Learn Computer Science
From ACM Opinion

Here's Why American Students Don’t Learn Computer Science

America's youth isn't getting a decent education when it comes to the basics of technology, and a survey conducted by Google and Gallup shows why.
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