Memory is a core component of all computing systems. Tech leaders are now warning of a potential global crisis in memory chip production, largely due to the accelerated growth of Artificial Intelligence and the data centers that support it. The pressures are estimated to persist over the next couple of years at least, signaling difficult times ahead for consumers and electronics manufacturers alike.
View More DRAM Deficit: Global Decline in Memory Chip Supply Worsens
Spain has joined a growing number of countries banning social media for users under 16. These bans reflect a global concern over these platforms’ documented, pervasive threats to children’s mental health and safety, which companies have responded to with largely cosmetic changes that fail to meaningfully protect minors. This trend ultimately signals a disappointing and widespread failure to uphold ethical standards in the industry.
View More Spain Makes a Stand Against Social Media Platforms’ Disappointing Ethical Failures
Federal law enforcement agencies like ICE are increasingly using technologies to identify, document, and surveil U.S. residents. The dependency of these new technologies is still questionable. Still, they are being used as a valid justification for questioning, prosecuting, and threatening civilians, especially protestors.
View More Strengthened Surveillance of US Residents
The trend toward increased development of artificial intelligence, data centers, electric transportation, advanced manufacturing, military operations, and aerospace systems requires immense amounts of electricity to maintain and scale performance. Power modules play a significant role in modern electrical systems. The current architecture of power modules has significant limitations when integrated into higher power systems. The Ultra Low Inductance Smart (ULIS) power module, developed by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is set to overcome these limitations.
View More The Next Generation of Power Electronics: A Bright Path Ahead
Advancements in the technologies and support available to postpartum women are essential, and many new technologies designed for mothers are promising to hasten their physical and emotional recovery. While this may seem a noble goal on the surface, many products marketed to postpartum women are hindering rather than helping their recovery by feeding into an increasingly twisted societal ideal of what postpartum recovery should look like. It is the ethical imperative of engineers to consider how their technologies are contributing to the dangerous “bounce-back” culture directed at postpartum women and the maternal mental health crisis.
View More Selling the Problem, Selling the Cure: Bounce-Back Culture and its Toll on New Mothers
Two of the most popular brands of chips have released “naked” versions of their products, which have no artificial colors. Supported by studies that show the potential harm of artificial additives, efforts to “strip down” products have grown widespread across several manufacturers of prepackaged food in America.
View More Stripped Chips: Bringing Cleaner Snacks to American Shelves
The integration of Internet of Things technologies in urban areas aims to make life in cities more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable. This article analyzes the smart city initiatives of Singapore, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, Toronto, and Songdo to discuss the potential benefits and ethical implications that these new technologies present. Successful projects have resulted in emission reductions and improved public services. However, the failures of other initiatives highlight ethical issues concerning data privacy, privatization, and unequal access. The analysis of these five cities emphasizes the importance of transparency and constant public engagement in implementing smart technologies in cities.
View More The Ethics of Smart Cities
CGI and other visual effects have allowed filmmakers and game designers to create visually stunning movies and characters that were previously impossible. However, with the rise of this revolutionary and ultra-realistic technology comes significant potential for misuse. This article discusses the background of CGI and visual effects, their application in the film and entertainment industries, and the possible ways they can be exploited. It also addresses the
negative implications of this technology and suggests possible solutions and mitigation strategies.
Since their invention, C and C++ have dominated computer systems. However, their programmer-controlled memory management scheme has caused great damage globally. It is imperative to create a memory-safe online world. Possible solutions include transitioning to new languages like Rust and Cppfront and deploying external memory checkers like SafeOSL and Memsafe.
View More Safe from the Fundamentals – The Ethical Case for New Programming Languages
UX design is an increasingly important field in the digital world as designers dictate the way users interact with digital products, shaping their experiences, emotions, and satisfaction level. This article explores the ethical implications of social media UX design through consequentialist and rights approaches. It also identifies existing patterns of unethical design on social media. In order to maintain integrity and public trust, it is important to establish a universal code of ethics in UX design.
View More Ethics of UX Design in Social Media