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Evolution Strategies as a Scalable Alternative to Reinforcement Learning
From ACM Opinion

Evolution Strategies as a Scalable Alternative to Reinforcement Learning

We've discovered that evolution strategies (ES), an optimization technique that's been known for decades, rivals the performance of standard reinforcement learning...

Online Social Networks and Global Women's Empowerment
From Communications of the ACM

Online Social Networks and Global Women's Empowerment

Mediating social change or reinforcing male hegemony?

The Battle For Top AI Talent Only Gets Tougher From Here
From ACM Opinion

The Battle For Top AI Talent Only Gets Tougher From Here

Andrew Ng helped create two of Silicon Valley's leading artificial intelligence labs.

No, Microwave Ovens Cannot Spy on You, For Lots of Reasons
From ACM Opinion

No, Microwave Ovens Cannot Spy on You, For Lots of Reasons

If you've been feeling a little paranoid lately—like even your standing mixer may be spying on you—rest assured that Trump senior counselor Kellyanne Conway shares...

Are Teenagers Replacing Drugs With Smartphones?
From ACM Opinion

Are Teenagers Replacing Drugs With Smartphones?

Amid an opioid epidemic, the rise of deadly synthetic drugs and the widening legalization of marijuana, a curious bright spot has emerged in the youth drug culture...

This Entrepreneur Dares You to Hack His Gadgets
From ACM Opinion

This Entrepreneur Dares You to Hack His Gadgets

Serial entrepreneur Andrew "Bunnie" Huang believes that consumer product companies should make their hardware designs publicly available so that anyone can study...

Wikileaks' Attack on ­.s. Intelligence
From ACM Opinion

Wikileaks' Attack on ­.s. Intelligence

Tuesday's WikiLeaks release exposing thousands of detailed documents on CIA hacking tools is an unbridled attack on U.S. intelligence operations with little or...

'this Is an All Hands on Deck Thing': A Former Obama Technology Adviser on Robots, Jobs and Cyberwarfare
From ACM Opinion

'this Is an All Hands on Deck Thing': A Former Obama Technology Adviser on Robots, Jobs and Cyberwarfare

During the Obama administration, R. David Edelman was one of the president's top advisers. As a part of Obama's National Security Council and his National Economic...

Why the Biggest Challenge Facing AI Is an Ethical One
From ACM Opinion

Why the Biggest Challenge Facing AI Is an Ethical One

Artificial intelligence is everywhere and it's here to stay.

Trump's Wiretap Rant Betrays Ignorance of the Law
From ACM Opinion

Trump's Wiretap Rant Betrays Ignorance of the Law

President Donald Trump set the political and national security community on fire Saturday morning, starting the day with a four-part Twitter rant alleging that...

The Wisdom of Nokia's Dumbphone
From ACM Opinion

The Wisdom of Nokia's Dumbphone

They weighed heavy in pockets and jackets and bags, for they were thick and bulky, not lithe and narrow. 

Boston Dynamics' New Rolling, Leaping Robot Is an Evolutionary Marvel
From ACM Opinion

Boston Dynamics' New Rolling, Leaping Robot Is an Evolutionary Marvel

If you're ever feeling down, do yourself a favor and watch some footage from the 2015 Darpa Robotics Challenge.

Listen, Technology Holdouts: Enough Is Enough
From ACM Opinion

Listen, Technology Holdouts: Enough Is Enough

Even as fanatic customers can be counted on to line up outside the Apple store for the latest iPhone, there are still millions of Americans who don't use a smartphone...

Hollywood Has No Idea What to Do with Vr
From ACM Opinion

Hollywood Has No Idea What to Do with Vr

Would you watch a virtual-reality Casablanca?

Face It, Meatsack: Pro Gamer Will Be the Only Job Left
From ACM Opinion

Face It, Meatsack: Pro Gamer Will Be the Only Job Left

Look at economic data closely and the trends aren't pretty: People with elite backgrounds are hoovering up an increasing share of new income and wealth.

Crispr Pioneer Muses About Long Journey from China to Pinnacle of American Science
From ACM Opinion

Crispr Pioneer Muses About Long Journey from China to Pinnacle of American Science

Feng Zhang occupies a corner office on the 10th floor of the gleaming, modern biotechnology palace called the Broad Institute.

No, Robots Aren't Killing the American Dream
From ACM Opinion

No, Robots Aren't Killing the American Dream

Defenders of globalization are on solid ground when they criticize President Trump's threats of punitive tariffs and border walls.

Learning with Mobile Technologies
From Communications of the ACM

Learning with Mobile Technologies

Considering the challenges, commitments, and quandaries.

The Former Secretary of Defense Outlines the Future of Warfare
From ACM Opinion

The Former Secretary of Defense Outlines the Future of Warfare

To an engineer in Silicon Valley, the Defense Department can look a little old, a little slow, and a little fat.

Meet the Scientist Bringing Gene Editing to Life: An Interview with Jennifer Doudna
From ACM Opinion

Meet the Scientist Bringing Gene Editing to Life: An Interview with Jennifer Doudna

About 10 years ago, scientists at a yogurt laboratory in Denmark noticed a peculiar feature in a bacterial genome.
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