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
'I Don't Intend to Go Crawl Under a Rock': An Exit Interview with FCC Chairman Tom Wheele
If you're familiar with the comedian John Oliver, then you may also remember the man he once memorably called a "dingo." That's Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the...
From ACM Opinion
Just in Time For Trump, the Nsa Loosens Its Privacy Rules
As the privacy and civil liberty community braces for Donald Trump's impending control of US intelligence agencies like the NSA, critics have called on the Obama...
From ACM Opinion
He Helped Create the 'google Brain.' Here's What He Thinks About AI Now
Trucks that can drive themselves along delivery routes. Computers capable of defeating world champions in a notoriously complex game. Apps that can translate sentences...
From ACM Opinion
My God. It's Full of Black Holes.
The image above doesn’t look like much at a glance, does it?
From ACM Opinion
At Ces 2017, You Have to Ask: What Makes a Robot a Robot?
Tall, small, dancing, singing, cleaning, sassy, silly, cute and scary—CES 2017 was awash with robots.
From ACM Opinion
Darpa's Biotech Chief Says 2017 Will 'blow Our Minds'
The Pentagon's research and development division, DARPA—the creative force behind the internet and GPS—retooled itself three years ago to create a new office dedicated...
From ACM Opinion
10 Ways the Iphone Changed Everything
Ten years ago, Nokia was the world's largest phone maker. Microsoft was gearing up to launch Windows Vista. And the best new products at CES included a wireless...
From ACM Opinion
Bitcoin Will Never Be a Currency; It's Something Way Weirder
The value of bitcoin surged past $1,000 this week, the first time it has reached such heights since late 2013.
From ACM Opinion
Why President Obama Won't Pardon Edward Snowden
On September 14, 2016, days before the premiere of Oliver Stone's hagiographic movieSnowden, Human Rights Watch, the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty...
From ACM Opinion
Don't Gut Net Neutrality. It's Good For People and Business
The invention and commercialization of the internet is one of the things that makes America great.
From ACM Opinion
Here's What Happens to Tech in 2017 (unless 2016 Was All a Dream)
What does 2017 hold for the world of tech and media?
From ACM Opinion
5 Big Predictions For Artificial Intelligence in 2017
Last year was huge for advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning. But 2017 may well deliver even more.
From ACM Opinion
Quantum Computers Ready to Leap Out of the Lab in 2017
Quantum computing has long seemed like one of those technologies that are 20 years away, and always will be.
From ACM Opinion
Why frankenstein is Still Relevant, Almost 200 Years After It Was Published
Can I be totally honest? All I remember about Frankenstein is that Frankenstein is the doctor, not the monster. What happens in it?
From ACM Opinion
The Biggest Security Threats Coming in 2017
Whether it was a billion compromised Yahoo accounts or state-sponsored Russian hackers muscling in on the US election, this past year saw hacks of unprecedented...
From ACM Opinion
Here's What a 'digital Miranda Warning' Might Look Like
Anyone who has ever watched an American crime movie or television show can practically recite the Miranda warning by heart, even if they don't know its official...
From ACM Opinion
How One Reporter Turned to His Readers to Investigate Donald Trump
David Fahrenthold's coverage of Donald Trump’s charities this year for The Washington Post stood out for its quality and depth. It also stood out the way he did...
From ACM Opinion
Tech That Will Change Your Life in 2017
If you've seen in it in a movie, you might see it in reality in 2017.
From ACM Opinion
Best Books of 2016
Our editors' picks for the best books of 2016, and some they're eagerly anticipating.
From ACM Opinion