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Ask Watson or Siri: Artificial intelligence is as elusive as ever

In 1966, some MIT researchers reckoned that they could develop computer vision as a summer project, perhaps even get a few smart undergrads to complete the task.

The world has been working on the problem ever since.

Computer vision is where computers recognize objects like people do. That’s a tree. He’s Carlos. And so on. It’s one of a number of tasks we consider essential for generalized artificial intelligence, in which machines can act and reason as humans do.

While we’ve been making some considerable headway in computer vision, especially in recent years, that it has taken 50 years longer than expected shows why AI (artificial intelligence) is such a difficult and elusive goal.

via Ask Watson or Siri: Artificial intelligence is as elusive as ever | Computerworld.

National Cybersecurity Career Fair

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All interested students – take a minute and check out the National Cybersecurity Career Fair, a virtual career fair that will allow you to directly connect with employers about cybersecurity job and internship opportunities in an online format over two days this Fall! NCCF will be held November 20-21, please don’t wait to register – sign up NOW at https://app.brazenconnect.com/events/cyberaces-us-career-fair! And connect with NCCF on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn!

Twitter

All cybersecurity students! Visit nationalcybersecuritycareerfair.com, to register 4 virtual career fair Follow @CyberCareer2014

Calling all cyber students! Go 2 nationalcybersecuritycareerfair.com, new online career fair #cybersecurity Follow @CyberCareer2014

Great news! @CyberAces launches 2nd nationalcybersecuritycareerfair.com, online career fair 4 #cybersecurity students Follow @CyberCareer2014

Opportunities from Cynthia Flores

Cynthia Flores, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics at CSUCI, has just attended the SACNAS conference this past weekend, and has noted several great opportunities for students in Computer Science:

  • Tapia Conference Codeathon: although applications for funding are closed for the TAPIA conference in Boston, MA, the Code-a-thon is accepting applications for a hands-on workshop. Perhaps some students may still have an opportunity to attend the Code-a-thon.
  • The following links are of interest to us as a Hispanic serving institution, and also the CI Computer Girls:
    – CAHSI
    – NCWIT
    – Anita Borg 

Stop worrying about mastermind hackers. Start worrying about the IT guy.

Mistakes in setting up popular office software have sent information about millions of Americans spilling onto the Internet, including Social Security numbers of college students, the names of children in Texas and the ID numbers of intelligence officials who visited a port facility in Maryland.

The security problem, researchers say, has affected many hundreds of servers running popular Oracle software, exposing a peculiar melange of data to possible collection by hackers. Most of the institutions affected have been universities or government agencies, though they hold a wide range of information on individuals and private companies.

The UCLA Health system, for example, had communications records — including doctors’s names, e-mail addresses and phone numbers — visible online. The Pentagon’s Defense Information Systems Agency, which maintains secure military networks, exposed a contracting database appearing to show $164 million in purchases. Two Texas state agencies failed to protect the personal details of people receiving government services.

This was not the work of sophisticated Russian hackers or Chinese cyber-warriors, who typically get blamed for problems in computer networks. Instead, researchers are pointing to humble system administrators for making routine errors that left the data unsecured.

via Stop worrying about mastermind hackers. Start worrying about the IT guy. – The Washington Post.

Position in Algorithms and Complexity at Aachen

Full Professor (W3) in Algorithms and Complexity
RWTH Aachen University

We are seeking qualified applicants for teaching and research in the
area of algorithms and complexity. The starting date is 1st October
2015. The research focus of this professorship should be in one or
several branches of current algorithms research, for example,
algorithmic game theory, approximation algorithms, distributed
algorithms, fixed-parameter tractability, networking algorithms,
online algorithms, randomised algorithms. The successful candidate is
expected to seek collaboration both within the department of computer
science and with other disciplines at RWTH Aachen University. We
expect an active involvement in all informatics curricula, as well as
in courses for other areas.

A Ph.D. degree is required; additionally, Habilitation (post-doctoral
lecturing qualification), an exemplary record of research achievement
as an assistant / an associate / a junior professor or university
researcher and/or an outstanding career outside academia are highly
desirable. Ability in and commitment to teaching are essential. German
is not necessary to begin but will be expected as a teaching language
within the first 5 years. The application should include supporting
documents regarding success in teaching.

Please send a cover letter stating research aims and a CV to: An den
Dekan der Fakultät für Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften
der RWTH Aachen, Professor Dr. Stefan Schael, 52056 Aachen, Germany.

The deadline for applications is 14th November 2014.

Informal inquiries may be addressed to
Martin Grohe, grohe@informatik.rwth-aachen.de