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Why Are There So Many Robocalls? Here's What You Can Do About Them
From ACM Opinion

Why Are There So Many Robocalls? Here's What You Can Do About Them

Remember when phone calls meant people wanted to talk to you about something other than lowering your interest rates?

What the Supreme Court Vacancy Means for the Internet
From ACM Opinion

What the Supreme Court Vacancy Means for the Internet

The retirement of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy from the Supreme Court might change the game for environmental protections, abortion rights and civil rights. But what...

Could Quantum Computing Be the End of Free Will?
From ACM Opinion

Could Quantum Computing Be the End of Free Will?

Faster, more powerful computing has the potential to revolutionize fields from drug delivery to freight transportation.

Whoa! Meet the Future Phones that Fold ­p, Have 9 Cameras and Charge Over Thin Air.
From ACM Opinion

Whoa! Meet the Future Phones that Fold ­p, Have 9 Cameras and Charge Over Thin Air.

Your next smartphone might just throw you a curve.

Anthony Kennedy's Retirement May Have Huge Consequences for Privacy
From ACM Opinion

Anthony Kennedy's Retirement May Have Huge Consequences for Privacy

Justice Anthony Kennedy, the current Supreme Court's longest-serving member, announced his retirement Wednesday, paving the way for Trump to shape the future America's...

Quantum Computing Will Reshape Digital Battlefield, Says Former NSA Director Hayden
From ACM Opinion

Quantum Computing Will Reshape Digital Battlefield, Says Former NSA Director Hayden

When retired Air Force General Michael Hayden took the helm of the National Security Agency in 1999 he found intelligence gathering, namely electronic espionage...

Disrupting Pro-ISIS Online 'Ecosystems' Could Help Thwart Real-World Terrorism
From ACM Opinion

Disrupting Pro-ISIS Online 'Ecosystems' Could Help Thwart Real-World Terrorism

Supporters of the Islamic State, or ISIS, around the world gather online, becoming members of virtual communities in much the same way any of us might join online...

Video Refereeing a Boon and a Bust at World Cup
From ACM Opinion

Video Refereeing a Boon and a Bust at World Cup

As must have been the case with the first glimmers of electric lights in the 19th century, video assistant referees benefited from an initial "Wow! The technology...

This Is How the Robot Uprising Finally Begins
From ACM Opinion

This Is How the Robot Uprising Finally Begins

The robot arm is performing a peculiar kind of Sisyphean task.

The ­.S. Once Again Has the World's Fastest Supercomputer. Keep ­p the Hustle.
From ACM Opinion

The ­.S. Once Again Has the World's Fastest Supercomputer. Keep ­p the Hustle.

The United States has knocked China out of the No. 1 position in supercomputing.

The Supreme Court Just Struck a Blow Against Mass Surveillance
From ACM Opinion

The Supreme Court Just Struck a Blow Against Mass Surveillance

The Supreme Court decided Friday that cell-site location information is protected by the Fourth Amendment's guarantee against unreasonable searches and seizures...

Blockchain Revolution Without the Blockchain?
From Communications of the ACM

Blockchain Revolution Without the Blockchain?

Most of the suggested benefits of blockchain technologies do not come from elements unique to the blockchain.

A Plea for AI That Serves Humanity Instead of Replacing It
From ACM Opinion

A Plea for AI That Serves Humanity Instead of Replacing It

Sixty-two years ago this summer, Dartmouth professor John McCarthy coined the term artificial intelligence. Joi Ito, director of MIT's Media Lab, has come to think...

Why Hackers Aren't Afraid of ­s
From ACM Opinion

Why Hackers Aren't Afraid of ­s

Ask finance ministers and central bankers around the world about their worst nightmare and the answer is almost always the same: Sometime soon the North Koreans...

Misinformation and Biases Infect Social Media, Both Intentionally and Accidentally
From ACM Opinion

Misinformation and Biases Infect Social Media, Both Intentionally and Accidentally

Social media are among the primary sources of news in the U.S. and across the world.

Autonomous Vehicles Might Drive Cities to Financial Ruin
From ACM Opinion

Autonomous Vehicles Might Drive Cities to Financial Ruin

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, last week, 125 mostly white, mostly male, business-card-bearing attendees crowded into a brightly lit ballroom to consider "mobility."

Forget 'Techlash,' The Biggest Problem for Tech Is a Widening Transatlantic Rift
From ACM Opinion

Forget 'Techlash,' The Biggest Problem for Tech Is a Widening Transatlantic Rift

Like a geeky alternative to the ice bucket challenge, the latest global trend to go viral is railing on Big Tech.

Relax, Google, the Robot Army Isn't Here Yet 
From ACM Opinion

Relax, Google, the Robot Army Isn't Here Yet 

People can differ on their perceptions of "evil."

Pentagon Puts Cyberwarriors on the Offensive, Increasing the Risk of Conflict
From ACM Opinion

Pentagon Puts Cyberwarriors on the Offensive, Increasing the Risk of Conflict

The Pentagon has quietly empowered the United States Cyber Command to take a far more aggressive approach to defending the nation against cyberattacks, a shift...

The Erosion of Reality
From ACM Opinion

The Erosion of Reality

Let me say this upfront: I'm not convinced that 'superintelligent' AI are the most pressing threat from coming generations of deep learning machines.
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