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
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.
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.
From ACM Opinion
Talk of Tech Innovation Is Bullsh*t. Shut p and Get the Work Done, Says Linus Torvalds
OSLS Linus Torvalds believes the technology industry's celebration of innovation is smug, self-congratulatory, and self-serving.
From ACM Opinion
Texting and Driving Isn't a Millennial Problem. It's an Engineering Problem
Millennials love their smartphones and refuse to drive without them. No amount of fist shaking or age shaming will fix this problem. Banishing distracted driving...
From ACM Opinion
Hacker Knows Best: Privacy Tips from Kevin Mitnick
Kevin Mitnick knows all the ways your privacy could be violated through your phone, computer and tablet.
From ACM Opinion
Will Algorithms Erode Our Decision-Making Skills?
Algorithms are embedded into our technological lives, helping accomplish a variety of tasks like making sure that email makes it to your aunt or that you're matched...
From ACM Opinion
'drone Bees' Are Comically Inept, Expensive and Dangerous to Real Bees
Bees are in decline in many areas.
From ACM Opinion
The AI Threat Isn't Skynet. It's the End of the Middle Class
In February 1975, a group of geneticists gathered in a tiny town on the central coast of California to decide if their work would bring about the end of the world...
From ACM Opinion
Coming Technology Will Likely Destroy Millions of Jobs. Is Trump Ready?
American manufacturing job losses to China and Mexico were a major theme of the presidential campaign, and President Trump has followed up on his promise to pressure...
From ACM Opinion
What If the Internet Stopped Working For a Day?
Jeff Hancock likes to give his Stanford University students weekend assignments that let them experience concepts discussed in class for themselves.
From ACM Opinion
Why Silicon Valley Wouldn't Work Without Immigrants
People in tech see something cataclysmic in Mr. Trump executive order barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries: the end of America's standing as...
From ACM Opinion
Lady Gaga's Halftime Show Drones Have a Bright Future
The best Super Bowl halftime shows leave indelible memories, be it a notorious wardrobe malfunction, that goofy Left Shark, or every last second of Beyoncé's two...
From ACM Opinion
Why Bill Belichick Cast Down His Tablet
As the New England Patriots' 10th appearance in a Super Bowl approaches, sports fans are eager to see the legendary pairing of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach...
From ACM Opinion
How Trump's Immigration Rules Will Hurt the .s. Tech Sector
When President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday issuing a temporary ban on immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, it went into effect...
From ACM Opinion
Police Could Get Your Location Data Without a Warrant. That Has to End
The more we rely on technology, the more detailed a technological footprint we leave behind.
From ACM Opinion
Peer Review Has Its Shortcomings, But AI Is a Risky Fix
We should think twice before allowing autonomous AI systems to decide what research warrants publication.
From ACM Opinion
Stop Scapegoating, Start Educating
As we look ahead to the Trump presidency, instead of scapegoating, we need significant investments in a sustainable education strategy that prepares youths to effectively...
From ACM Opinion
The ltimate Cure For the Fake-News Epidemic Will Be More Skeptical Readers
"Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President." "FBI Agent Suspected in Hillary Email Leaks Found Dead of Apparent Murder-Suicide." "Rush Reveals...
From ACM Opinion
We Rely on the Government For Lots of Data. What Happens to That in the Trump Era of 'alternative Facts'?
During the first 24 hours of the Trump administration, the new White House took a clear, firm stand against publicly available information.
From ACM Opinion