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
From Reagan's Cyber Plan to Apple Vs. Fbi: 'everything Is p For Grabs'
The heated debate between the FBI and Apple over the encryption of the iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the two people who massacred 14 people in San Bernardino...
From ACM Opinion
How Self-Driving Cars Will Threaten Privacy
Allow me to join you, if I may, on your morning commute sometime in the indeterminate future.
From ACM Opinion
The Internet of Things Is a Surveillance Nightmare
In 2014, security guru Bruce Schneier said, "Surveillance is the business model of the Internet.
From ACM Opinion
The Law Is Clear: The Fbi Cannot Make Apple Rewrite its Os
Every once in a while, President Obama removes his Law Professor in Chief hat and puts on his I Get Terrifying Briefings Every Day hat.
From ACM Opinion
Is Blockchain the Most Important It Invention of Our Age?
There are not many occasions when one can give an unqualified thumbs-up to something the government does, but this is one such occasion.
From ACM Opinion
Where Computers Defeat Humans, and Where They Can't
ALPHAGO, the artificial intelligence system built by the Google subsidiary DeepMind, has just defeated the human champion, Lee Se-dol, four games to one in the...
From ACM Opinion
Explosive Golf Video Game Has the Best Physics Simulation Ever
Before teeing off, I take a few seconds to line up the shot.
From ACM Opinion
Self-Driving Cars Won't Work ntil We Change Our Roads—and Attitudes
Autonomous vehicles will join human drivers on our roads sooner than most people think.
From ACM Opinion
Cyberwar, Out of the Shadows
A hacking attack on a Las Vegas hotel company. A power grid blackout in the Ukraine. A series of industrial accidents at an Iranian nuclear enrichment lab.
From ACM Opinion
After Alphago, What's Next For Ai?
AlphaGo's victories against legendary Go player Lee Se-dol over the last few days mark a major milestone in AI research.
From ACM Opinion
How Apple Could Fed-Proof Its Software pdate System
Apple's refusal to comply with a judge's demand that it help the FBI unlock a terrorist's iPhone has triggered a roiling debate about how much the U.S. government...
From ACM Opinion
A Computer Takes On a Human Master of the Board Game Go
In 1997, IBM's Deep Blue computer defeated the world chess champion Garry Kasparov. It was a momentous occasion for artificial intelligence, showing how far a clever...
From ACM Opinion
Why We Love the Games That Enrage S Most
One afternoon last fall a Reddit user with the handle "FranktheShank1" was enjoying a new video game on his PlayStation 4.
From ACM Opinion
The New Mind Control
Over the past century, more than a few great writers have expressed concern about humanity's future.
From ACM Opinion
Toward the End of Pilots
A memory that’s stayed with me from my stint in the military nearly 50 years ago is a sign that my supply sergeant kept on his desk: "We’ve been working with less...
From ACM Opinion
A Plan in Case Robots Take the Jobs: Give Everyone a Paycheck
Let's say computers come for most of our jobs. This may not seem likely at the moment; computer scientists and economists offer wildly varying ideas for how deeply...
From ACM News
How the Feds Could Get Into Iphones Without Apple's Help
It's a showdown that has the country mesmerized.
From ACM Opinion
Apple's 'code = Speech' Mistake
In its legal fight against the FBI over iPhone security, Apple has made just about every argument it can credibly make.
From ACM Opinion
'code Is Speech' Expert Cindy Cohn Explains Key Argument in Apple's Fight with the Fbi
Apple's argument that a court order forcing it to write software code violates its First Amendment rights is legally sound and raises serious concerns, according...
From ACM Opinion