Communications of the ACM
An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.
From ACM TechNews
Public Webcams Are Telling Us Whether People Are Social Distancing
Since April, computer scientists at Purdue University have been using an online database of public cameras to track compliance with social-distancing guidelines...
From ACM TechNews
Uber, Lyft Pricing Algorithms Charge More in Non-White Areas
George Washington University researchers found apparent racial bias in pricing algorithms used by ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft.
From ACM TechNews
U.S. Voting Data from Millions of People is Being Traded on the Dark Web
Researchers have found that data on millions of U.S. voters is being illegally traded on parts of the Internet not searchable using normal means.
From ACM TechNews
Fake News Gets Shared More When It is Angry, Anxiety-Inducing
Researchers in China have found that fake news may go viral more quickly when it uses words associated with anger.
From ACM TechNews
China is Using Mass Surveillance Tech to Fight Coronavirus Spread
The Chinese government is working with technology companies to monitor citizens and track confirmed cases of people infected with the coronavirus.
From ACM TechNews
SIM Swapping, Poor Web Security Put Millions at Risk
Researchers at Princeton University have found that two-factor authentication is easily hackable and could put millions of people at risk.
From ACM TechNews
Artificial Leg with Sensors Helps People Feel Every Step
A new artificial leg is equipped with sensors that allow users to feel when the leg flexes and lands on the ground.
From ACM TechNews
AIs Could Debate Whether a Smart Assistant Should Snitch on You
Researchers suggest that since ethical behavior is not consistent across societies, artificial intelligence systems should be flexible to reflect local law and...
From ACM TechNews
Hackers Are Stealing Computer Power to Make Millions in Cryptocurrency
Groups of hackers are stealing millions of dollars through cryptojacking, which works by illicitly harnessing the computing power of thousands to mine cryptocurrency...
From ACM News
K Police Wants AI to Stop Violent Crime Before It Happens
Police in the UK want to predict serious violent crime using artificial intelligence, New Scientist can reveal. The idea is that individuals flagged by the system...
From ACM TechNews
An AI Lie Detector Will Interrogate Travelers at Some E Borders
An artificial intelligence-based lie detector system will be used on international travelers during a six-month pilot program at border crossings in Hungary, Latvia...
From ACM TechNews
Stupid AI: How Humans Can Stop Machines From Falling for Visual Tricks
Research from Johns Hopkins University suggests new ways to prevent artificial intelligence from being visually deceived.
From ACM TechNews
Think Your Surfing Is Secret in Private Browsing Mode? Think Again
Many computer users incorrectly believe private browsing protects them against computer viruses, targeted ads, geolocation, and tracking by employers and governments...
From ACM TechNews
How to Stop Artificial Intelligence Being Biased
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany have developed a new method to avoid embedding bias into machine learning algorithms....
From ACM TechNews
4 Tweets Can Reveal the Identity of an Anonymous Troll
Four geotagged posts are sufficient to identify an anonymous account from a telephone company's database of customers.
From ACM TechNews
Anti-Swearing AI Takes the Edge Off Abuse on Reddit and Twitter
IBM researchers have developed a system that translates offensive comments on social media into more polite language, while keeping the content intact.
From ACM TechNews
.S. Army Makes a Virtual North Korea for Training
The U.S. Army is creating a virtual duplicate of our planet in which to drill troops.
From ACM TechNews
Driverless Cars Could Let You Choose Who Survives in a Crash
Researchers have developed a dial that will switch a smart car's setting from "full altruist" to "full egoist," with the middle setting being impartial.
From ACM TechNews
This AI Can Tell True Hate Speech From Harmless Banter
Researchers at McGill University have taught machine-learning software to identify hate speech by acquiring knowledge on how members of hateful communities speak...
From ACM TechNews