ACM Fellow Fei-Fei Li

NSF Selects Greg Hager to Head CISE Directorate

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) named ACM Fellow Gregory D. Hager to head up its Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE). Hager is a Professor of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. His research covers many areas of AI and machine learning, including activity recognition and detection from video data; collaborative and vision-based robotics; and medical applications of machine learning, image analysis, and robotics.

ACM A.M. Turing Award laureate Tim Berners-Lee

Turing Award Laureate Tim Berners-Lee Predicts Internet's Future

ACM A.M. Turing Award laureate Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, shared predictions about his invention's future over the next 35 years. “Some people worry about whether, in 35 years, AI will be more powerful than us,” Berners-Lee said. “One of the things I predict—but it’s something we may have to fight for—is you will have an AI assistant, which you can trust, and it works for you, like a doctor.” Berners-Lee is credited with inventing the World Wide Web in 1989 while working at CERN, the Swiss particle physics research center.

ACM Fellow Fei-Fei Li

ACM Fellow Fei-Fei Li Presses President Biden to Aid AI Researchers

ACM Fellow Fei-Fei Li of Stanford University—known as the "godmother of AI"—pressed President Joe Biden following his State of the Union address to fund a national warehouse of computing power and datasets to ensure the nation's leading AI researchers can keep pace with big tech firms. Said Li, "The public sector is now significantly lagging in resources and talent compared to that of industry. This will have profound consequences because industry is focused on developing technology that is profit-driven, whereas public sector AI goals are focused on creating public goods."

Bob Kahn Awarded IEEE Medal of Honor

ACM A.M. Turing Award laureate Robert E. Kahn, one of the "fathers of the Internet," has been awarded the 2024 IEEE Medal of Honor. The IEEE Foundation cited Kahn’s work in packet communication technologies and foundations of the Internet as the basis for the award. Kahn, along with Vint Cerf, received the A.M. Turing Award for pioneering work on internetworking, including the design and implementation of the Internet's basic communications protocols TCP/IP, and for inspired leadership in networking. Kahn and Cerf founded the non-profit Internet Society in 1992.

Yannis Ioaniddis Interviewed by Stephen Ibaraki

Recently, ACM President Yannis Ioannidis was interviewed by Stephen Ibaraki, Global Chairman REDDS Capital. In the interview, Ioannidis discusses a wide range of timely subjects such as data management and digital storytelling, AI advancements and specialized computing, and his time as ACM President. He speaks on ACM's role in achieving UN sustainable development goals and in climate change mitigation, as well as its role in serving diverse global needs and the future of computing. Finally, Yannis discusses “ACM 4.0”—an effort to address the changes needed for the organization’s next 25 years, and his plans to seek a second term as ACM President to continue his initiatives.

Francesca Rossi on The Tech Talks Daily Podcast

Francesca Rossi, Co-Author of ACM's "TechBrief: Generative Artificial Intelligence," appeared on The Tech Talks Daily Podcast to discuss the pressing issues surrounding the rapid commercialization of generative AI technologies. Rossi brings her extensive expertise as an IBM Fellow and AI ethics global leader to the shed light on the implications of AI on the workforce—with a startling revelation from ACM’s TechBrief—the need for comprehensive AI policies incorporating end-to-end governance approaches, and addressing risks at every AI development and deployment stage. Rossi also shares insights into how IBM addresses bias in AI systems, fairness and inclusivity, and setting industry standards for ethical AI practices.

Vint Cerf on PBS NewsHour

Appearing on PBS NewsHour, A.M. Turing Laureate and Vice President/Chief Internet Evangelist at Google Vint Cerf offers "A Brief But Spectacular Take on the Future of the Internet." Here, Cerf expounds on how the beginning of the internet seemed not so much a plan as a posed problem, what is needed to make the internet truly accessable for all, how the fears of artificial intelligence may be overblown but that AI shoud be handled with care, and the need for international cooperation to create laws that will ensure online safety and security for all.

Niklaus Wirth

In Memoriam: Niklaus Wirth

Programming language pioneer and A.M. Turing Laureate Niklaus Wirth passed away on January 1, 2024. Wirth created the Euler and PL360 languages, breaking new ground in formal separation of syntax and semantics. Working with Tony Hoare, Wirth used Euler as the basis of Algol-W which then became the basis for Pascal, which provided a foundation for future computer languages, systems, and architectural research for years to come. He also popularized the adage of "Wirth's law," which states that software is getting slower more rapidly than hardware becomes faster. He was the recipient of the 1984 ACM A.M. Turing Award, the IEEE Emanuel R. Piore Award, and the Marcel Benoist Prize, among other honors.

Juan Gilbert

Dame Wendy Hall Named to UN AI Advisory Board

In an effort to form a single global body to govern artificial intelligence technology, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has announced a 39-person advisory board to help the international body determine what global rules were needed to oversee AI. Included on this board is ACM Fellow, former ACM President, and current Co-Chair of the ACM Publications Board Dame Wendy Hall, who has already served as an advisor to the UK government as well as other governments and companies around the world. The group would report back by the end of the year and publish its final nonbinding recommendations next summer.

Juan Gilbert

Juan Gilbert Honored with National Medal of Technology and Innovation

President Joe Biden honored University of Florida computer science professor and ACM Fellow Juan Gilbert at the White House with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for pioneering a universal voting system that makes voting more reliable and accessible for everyone and for increasing diversity in the computer science workforce. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation, or NMTI, is the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement, bestowed by the president of the United States on leading innovators for their outstanding contributions to America’s economic, environmental and social well-being. You can view the event here.

ACM CEO Vicki Hanson to Receive HCI Medal for Societal Impact

The HCII2024 Conference has announced that ACM CEO Vicki Hanson has been chosen to receive the 2024 HCI Medal for Societal Impact. The HCI Medal for Societal Impact was established in 2022 to be awarded to academics, researchers, or professionals in recognition of the impact of their work in the field of human-computer interaction on society. The medal will be conferred during the conference Opening Plenary Session, to be followed by the Keynote speech. The conference will take place June 29–July 4, 2024, in Washington DC.

Vint Cerf and Hari Balakrishnan Receive Marconi Society Awards

A.M Turing Award recipient Vint Cerf has received the Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award. The Marconi Society Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals with an established history of distinguished work who have made creative contributions and positive impact to the field of communications and to the development of the careers of others. ACM Fellow Hari Balakrishnan has received the 2023 Marconi Prize. The Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society, given annually to innovators who have made significant contributions to increasing digital inclusivity through the advancement of information and communications technology.

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