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dateMore Than a Year Ago
subjectHuman Computer Interaction
authorScientific American
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We Should Not Try to Make Conscious Software—Until We Should
From ACM Opinion

We Should Not Try to Make Conscious Software—Until We Should

Eventually, the most ethical option might be to divert all resources toward building very happy machines.

Why We Forgive Humans More Readily Than Machines
From ACM Opinion

Why We Forgive Humans More Readily Than Machines

When things go wrong, flexible moral intuitions cause us to judge computers more severely

'Small Data' Is Also Crucial for Machine Learning
From ACM Opinion

'Small Data' Is Also Crucial for Machine Learning

The most promising AI approach you've never heard of doesn't need to go big

The FDA Should Better Regulate Medical Algorithms
From ACM Opinion

The FDA Should Better Regulate Medical Algorithms

Most do not require the agency's approval, and those that do often don't require clinical trial

'Self-Driving' Cars Begin to Emerge from a Cloud of Hype
From ACM Opinion

'Self-Driving' Cars Begin to Emerge from a Cloud of Hype

Developers try to overcome a multitude of technical challenges before vehicles drive on their own

Why So Many Young People Hate STEM Courses
From ACM Opinion

Why So Many Young People Hate STEM Courses

A high school senior recounts why she almost gave up on her dream of becoming a scientist

The Question Medical AI Can't Answer
From ACM Opinion

The Question Medical AI Can't Answer

It's unable to tell us why it came to a particular decision—and that's crucial information

If You Say 'Science Is Right,' You're Wrong
From ACM Opinion

If You Say 'Science Is Right,' You're Wrong

It can't supply absolute truths about the world, but it brings us steadily closer.

The U.S. Needs a National Strategic Computing Reserve
From ACM Opinion

The U.S. Needs a National Strategic Computing Reserve

One year after supercomputers worked together to fight COVID-19, it's time to broaden the partnership to prepare for other crises.

Virtual Reality Has An Accessibility Problem
From ACM Opinion

Virtual Reality Has An Accessibility Problem

Virtual reality has been touted as an "empathy machine" that lets users see what it's like to have a disability—but people with disabilities often can't use it....

Our Disabilities Have Made ­s Better Scientists
From ACM Opinion

Our Disabilities Have Made ­s Better Scientists

Scientific research is rarely designed to accommodate scientists with medical conditions or disabilities.

Don't Let Robots Pull the Trigger
From ACM Opinion

Don't Let Robots Pull the Trigger

The killer machines are coming. Robotic weapons that target and destroy without human supervision are poised to start a revolution in warfare comparable to the...

AI's Big Challenge
From ACM Opinion

AI's Big Challenge

The recently signed executive order establishing the American AI Initiative correctly identifies artificial intelligence as central to American competitiveness...

Electronic Contracts and the Illusion of Consent
From ACM Opinion

Electronic Contracts and the Illusion of Consent

Q: What do you do when you see a little button on a webpage or app screen that says I agree?

The Vulnerabilities of Our Voting Machines
From ACM Opinion

The Vulnerabilities of Our Voting Machines

A few weeks ago computer scientist J. Alex Halderman rolled an electronic voting machine onto a Massachusetts Institute of Technology stage and demonstrated how...

Clicks, Lies and Videotape
From ACM Opinion

Clicks, Lies and Videotape

This past April a new video of Barack Obama surfaced on the Internet. Against a backdrop that included both the American and presidential flags, it looked like...

Will L.A.'s Anti-Terrorist Subway Scanners Be Adopted Everywhere?
From ACM Opinion

Will L.A.'s Anti-Terrorist Subway Scanners Be Adopted Everywhere?

In mid-August the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Transportation Security Administration announced Metro has paid $100,000 each...

Are We Ready for the Future of Warfare?
From ACM Opinion

Are We Ready for the Future of Warfare?

Warfare has always been about exerting political will.

Google's Duplex AI Scares Some People, but I Can't Wait for It to Become a Thing
From ACM Opinion

Google's Duplex AI Scares Some People, but I Can't Wait for It to Become a Thing

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic," Arthur C. Clarke famously wrote. That line must have zoomed through 5,000 audience brains...

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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