Welcome to the May 9, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• ACM Urges Baseline for Accessibility-Driven Technology Development
• U.S. to Rescind, Replace Global AI Chip Export Curbs
• AI Is Draining Water from Areas That Need It Most
• Beijing to Host World Humanoid Robot Games
• Google Agrees to Fund Three Nuclear Sites
• DOD Shakes Up Software Procurement
• Cisco’s Plans for Networking in Era of Quantum Computing
• A New Tool to Manage Slow Faults
• Amazon Robot Has Sense of Touch
• EU Misses Deadline to Tame AI Models
• Beijing's 'Made in China' Plan Narrows Tech Gap
• Mideast Titans Step Back from AI Race

ACM Urges Baseline for Accessibility-Driven Technology Development

ACM's global Technology Policy Council has released a TechBrief asserting that access to technology is essential for people with disabilities. The policy document outlines how accessibility has not been sufficiently integrated into the lifecycle of technology development and presents several measures to address the problem. "This TechBrief emphasizes that an accessible digital world is achievable with the right commitments and actions," said co-lead author Sarah Horton of Harvard University.
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U.S. to Rescind, Replace Global AI Chip Export Curbs

The White House plans to rescind and modify a rule set to take effect on May 15 that would curb exports of AI chips, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Commerce confirmed on Wednesday. The regulation was aimed at restricting AI chip and technology exports to rivals by dividing the world into tiers based on each nation’s relationship to the U.S. The Commerce spokeswoman said officials "didn't like the tiered system" and that the rule was "unenforceable." She added that debate was continuing on the best course of action.
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AI Is Draining Water from Areas That Need It Most

The datacenters that power AI consume large amounts of water to cool hot servers and, indirectly, from the electricity needed to run these facilities. A Bloomberg analysis found that about two-thirds of datacenters built or in development since 2022 are in places already experiencing high levels of water stress in the U.S. In China and India, an even greater proportion of datacenters are located in drier areas.
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Beijing to Host World Humanoid Robot Games

Beijing will host a global humanoid robot competition Aug. 15-17, featuring events such as floor exercises, football, and dance, Jiang Guangzhi, director of the Beijing Bureau of Economy and Information Technology, announced Wednesday. "There are many challenges for robot technology innovation, product upgrades, and applications," Jiang said. "It is imperative to strengthen global exchanges and cooperation and enhance interaction and collaboration among research, industry, and end-users."
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Google Agrees to Fund Three Nuclear Sites

Google and nuclear developer Elementl Power have signed an agreement to develop three sites for advanced reactors, with Google to provide early-stage development capital. Each site, when completed, is expected to generate at least 600 megawatts of power capacity, with Google given the option to purchase the power. The proposed locations for the sites have not been disclosed.
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DOD Shakes Up Software Procurement

In a recent memo published online, U.S. Department of Defense CIO Katherine Arrington introduced the Software Fast-Track (SWFT) initiative to reform software acquisition, authorization, and testing. Arrington explained the SWFT Framework will define "clear" and "specific" cybersecurity and supple chain risk management requirements, strict software security verification processes, and secure information sharing mechanisms. Arrington also noted the use of open source software "presents a significant and ongoing challenge," with a lack of visibility into the origins and security of software code particularly troubling.
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Cisco’s Plans for Networking in Era of Quantum Computing

Cisco partnered with the University of California, Santa Barbara to develop a prototype quantum network entanglement chip that produces entangled photon pairs and leverages quantum teleportation to transmit quantum states between them, no matter the distance. The chip serves as a foundation for Cisco's work in developing infrastructure to connect quantum processors at scale. Cisco recently opened its Quantum Labs in Santa Monica, CA.
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A New Tool to Manage Slow Faults

A tool developed by University of Michigan researchers enables computing systems to make real-time adjustments to runtime operating slowdowns. Adaptive Detection at Runtime (ADR) monitors a system's response values and the frequency of changes, compares the slowdowns to historical values, and flags those falling below the 99th percentile as potential slow faults. To prevent false positives, ADR checks for continuous declines in the response rate.
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Amazon Robot Has Sense of Touch

Amazon unveiled its Vulcan robot at an event in Germany on May 7. The robot has a sense of touch and uses AI to identify objects and determine whether it can handle them and the best way to pick them up. To be deployed at Amazon's warehouses across the globe over the next few years, the robot will place items on upper and lower shelves, reducing the need for human workers to use ladders or bend, the company said.
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EU Misses Deadline to Tame AI Models

The European Commission missed the May 2 deadline for drafting guardrails for the most advanced AI models. Thirteen academics, including ACM A. M. Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio have been collaborating on a voluntary "code of practice" for advanced AI models. The latest proposed rules would have signatories disclose relevant information about their models to authorities and customers, develop a policy to comply with copyright rules, and take steps to mitigate "systemic risks."
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Beijing's 'Made in China' Plan Narrows Tech Gap

A study by economic consulting firm Rhodium Group for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that Beijing's decade-old "Made in China 2025" plan has contributed to China's narrowing technological gap with the West. The plan offered tax deductions and other benefits to companies in targeted sectors, including IT. The study found that every targeted sector has seen a "substantial reduction" in import dependencies. Additionally, Chinese firms have taken market share from foreign rivals in robotics, among other sectors.
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Mideast Titans Step Back from AI Race

UAE tech firms are reconsidering the feasibility of developing AI models from scratch as the global AI race continues to be led by the U.S. and China. UAE tech conglomerate G42 has pulled resources from its Jais model and shifted focus to building bespoke features on top of existing AI models. Falcon, the UAE government-backed Technology Innovation Institute's open-source AI system, meanwhile, has fallen behind as open-source alternatives from Meta and China's DeepSeek continue to advance.
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