Welcome to the May 12, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• AI Execs Say U.S. Must Increase Chip Exports, Improve Infrastructure
• Python Popularity Climbs to Highest Ever
• AI Video of Murder Victim Addresses Killer in Court
• U.S. Researchers Achieve 11-Mile Quantum Data Link
• LegoGPT Creates Lego Designs Using AI, Text Inputs
• Wikipedia Challenges U.K. Online Safety Act
• Wearable Device Tracks Gases from Just Above the Skin
• 3D Printing In Vivo Using Sound
• Bike-Mounted Sensor System Maps Safer Cycling Routes
• Bill Seeks to Limit Use of Facial Recognition Tech at Airports
• Google Identifies New Malware Linked to Russia-based Hackers
• Robotic Infant Replicates Feeding Behaviors

AI Execs Say U.S. Must Increase Chip Exports, Improve Infrastructure

At a May 8 hearing of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Advanced Micro Devices executives testified that infrastructure investments and increased AI chip exports are necessary for the U.S. to stay ahead of China in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. "The number one factor that will define whether the U.S. or China wins this race is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world," said Microsoft President Brad Smith. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman added that investment in datacenters, power stations, and other infrastructure is "critical."
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Python Popularity Climbs to Highest Ever

Tiobe's index of programming language popularity for May showed Python ranking first with a 25.35% share, marking the highest rating for any language since Java in 2001 and topping the second-most popular language, C++ by 15 percentage points. “The only reason other languages still have a reason for existing is because of Python’s low performance, and the fact that it is interpreted and thus prone to unexpected run-time errors,” said Tiobe CEO Paul Jansen.
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AI Video of Murder Victim Addresses Killer in Court

At a May 1 court hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona, Stacey Wales used an AI-generated video of her brother, Christopher Pelkey, who was killed in a 2021 road-rage incident, as a victim impact statement. Wales' husband used AI tools to edit a photo of Pelkey, clone his voice based on old videos, and animate his face. The video featured a speech written by Wales based on what she thought Pelkey would say.
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U.S. Researchers Achieve 11-Mile Quantum Data Link

An experimental quantum communications network developed by researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester uses two optical fibers to connect their campuses. The Rochester Quantum Network (RoQNET) uses single photons, with help from optical wavelengths, to transmit data over about 11 miles of fiber-optic cables at room temperature.
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LegoGPT Creates Lego Designs Using AI, Text Inputs

The LegoGPT AI model created by Carnegie Mellon University researchers outputs LEGO designs from text inputs. The model, available for free on GitHub, was trained on a dataset with more than 47,000 LEGO structures that build over 28,000 unique 3D objects. This was then used to train the AI model, allowing it to create unique and original designs solely from text inputs.
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Wikipedia Challenges U.K. Online Safety Act

The Wikimedia Foundation said it is seeking a judicial review of the Category 1 duties under the U.K's Online Safety Act. Under the Category 1 regulations, thousands of Wikipedia volunteer editors would have to undergo identity verification, which goes against the foundation's commitment to collect minimal data from contributors. Otherwise, the foundation would have to permit anonymous users to block other posters from removing or fixing content, which it says would expose the site to "manipulation and vandalism."
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Wearable Device Tracks Gases from Just Above the Skin

A wearable device developed by Northwestern University researchers measures changes in the concentrations of gases emitted and absorbed by the skin over time. The sensor measures the concentrations of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds, as well as skin temperature and electrical impedance. Data is transmitted using a Bluetooth connection for analysis and reporting.
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3D Printing In Vivo Using Sound

A team led by researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) developed an ultrasound-based technique capable of 3D printing polymers at specific locations in the body for tissue repair, selective drug delivery, or other applications. "We have already shown in a small animal that we can print drug-loaded hydrogels for tumor treatment," said Caltech's Wei Gao. "In the future, with the help of AI, we would like to be able to autonomously trigger high-precision printing within a moving organ, such as a beating heart."
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Bike-Mounted Sensor System Maps Safer Cycling Routes

University of Washington (UW) researchers developed a system that logs when a passing car comes too close to a cyclist, flagging dangerous streets in real time. The ProxiCycle system relies on a sensor that plugs into a bicycle’s left handlebar, which sends data to a rider’s phone. An algorithm determines whether what is passing is a car or another object.
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Bill Seeks to Limit Use of Facial Recognition Tech at Airports

The Traveler Privacy Protection Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Neely Kennedy (R-LA), would prohibit the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from using facial recognition technology to verify travelers' identity unless they opt in. The legislation also would restrict the use of facial recognition technology for purposes other than identity verification and require TSA to delete the scans of general boarding passengers as soon as verification is complete.
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Google Identifies New Malware Linked to Russia-based Hackers

Google identified new malware called "LOSTKEYS" tied to hacking group Cold River, which has previously been linked to Russia's Federal Security Service. The malware can steal files and send system information to attackers. Cold River is primarily known for stealing login credentials for high-profile targets, including those within NATO governments, non-governmental organizations, and former intelligence and diplomatic officers, with the goal of supporting Russian interests.
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Robotic Infant Replicates Feeding Behaviors

A soft robotic infant created by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Nestlé Research Lausanne mimics the early feeding behaviors and oral motor development of human babies. BabyBot features a sensorized oral cavity, soft robotic tongue, and neural circuits that replicate reflexive and adaptive feeding responses. The robot replicates key stages of oral motor development, including transitions from preterm-like abnormal behaviors to mature sensory-motor control.
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