Welcome to the September 26, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• U.S. Scrambles to Stop Hacking Campaign Blamed on China
• More Robots Working in China Than Rest of World Combined
• Zelenskyy Issues Warning of Global Arms Race, AI War
• ACM AI Letters Accepting Submissions
• Robot Navigates Tough Terrain with 3D Mapping
• Making Complex 3D-Printed Parts More Reliable
• HSBC Quantum Computing Trial Helps Bond Trading
• Smart Device Speeds Wound Healing
• Google Says 90% of Tech Workers Are Now Using AI at Work
• Secret Service Says It Thwarted Device Network Used to Threaten U.S. Officials
• Meta Ramps Up Spending on AI Politics
• 98% Quantum Gate Fidelity Achieved with 3D-Printed Ion Traps
• Robots Prone to Privacy Leaks

U.S. Scrambles to Stop Hacking Campaign Blamed on China

U.S. agencies are rushing to counter a major cyberattack by suspected Chinese hackers exploiting flaws in Cisco firewall software. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Thursday issued an emergency directive ordering civilian agencies to check Cisco equipment for breaches and disconnect compromised devices. Security experts warn attackers can monitor or manipulate traffic and stay hidden even after reboots. Breaches may have begun months ago, officials said.
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More Robots Working in China Than Rest of World Combined

China is leading the world in industrial robot deployment, with over two million robots working in its factories last year—more than the rest of the world combined. Chinese factories installed nearly 300,000 new robots in 2024, a report released Thursday by the International Federation of Robotics showed, compared with just 34,000 in the U.S. China now produces most of its installed robots domestically and continues to advance their integration with AI.
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Zelenskyy Issues Warning of Global Arms Race, AI War

At the U.N. General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned of a looming global arms race fueled by AI, urging rules to govern AI weapons. He cautioned that autonomous drones could soon target infrastructure and even carry nuclear warheads without human control. Said Zelenskyy, "We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history because this time, it includes AI."
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ACM AI Letters Accepting Submissions

ACM is accepting submissions for publication in ACM AI Letters, a venue for rapid publication of important AI research. Said ACM Director of Publications Scott Delman, “With ACM AI Letters, we’ll be able to publish late-breaking research results, policy assessments, and opinion pieces from thought-leaders in the field. And while the peer review will be rapid, ACM’s standing as the world’s largest computing society will ensure the most rigorous review process among academic publishers.”
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Robot Navigates Tough Terrain with 3D Mapping

A model developed by University of Hong Kong researchers enables quadrupedal robots to navigate complex terrain autonomously. The model features a multi-layer elevation map developed using LiDAR data captured by the robot's sensors, providing the robot a detailed view of its surroundings. The researchers trained the robot to identify different terrains using simulations, and it can use what it has learned from its training data to compensate when sensor data is unavailable.
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Making Complex 3D-Printed Parts More Reliable

A design technique developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers makes 3D-printed parts more reliable by accounting for the limitations of printers during the design phase. The approach factors in print head size and bonding weaknesses between layers, automatically adjusting design algorithms and print paths. In tests, parts created with the new method performed more closely to intended specifications than conventional designs, particularly at lower material densities.
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HSBC Quantum Computing Trial Helps Bond Trading

U.K. financial services giant HSBC said a pilot project using quantum computing improved its bond trading capabilities, marking one of the first practical applications of the technology in finance. Working with IBM, the bank achieved a 34% increase in predicting whether a bond trade would be filled at a quoted price, giving it a competitive advantage over traditional computing methods. The trial combined quantum and classical computing to price trades in Europe’s corporate bond market, where algorithms evaluate client requests under shifting conditions.
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Smart Device Speeds Wound Healing

A wearable device designed by University of California, Santa Cruz researchers uses AI and bioelectronics to accelerate wound healing. The a-Heal system integrates a camera, AI “physician,” and drug-delivery mechanisms into a closed-loop platform. Every two hours, the device captures images of the wound, which AI analyzes to determine its healing stage. Based on this assessment, it delivers either anti-inflammatory fluoxetine or an electric field to stimulate cell migration. Preclinical tests showed wounds treated with the device healed about 25% faster than those provided standard care.
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Google Says 90% of Tech Workers Are Now Using AI at Work

Of 5,000 global technology professionals surveyed by Google's DORA research decision, the vast majority (90%) said they now use AI in their jobs, up from just 14% who did so in 2024. However, the survey found only 20% of respondents place "a lot" of trust in the quality of AI-generated code, compared to 23% who trust it "a little" and 46% who trust it "somewhat."
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Secret Service Says It Thwarted Device Network Used to Threaten U.S. Officials

The U.S. Secret Service says it dismantled a large network of electronic devices in the New York City area capable of threatening officials and disrupting cellular communications. Found in vacant apartments within 35 miles of the United Nations, where the General Assembly has been meeting this week, officials say the system included more than 300 servers and 100,000 SIM cards, and was tied to swatting incidents aimed at U.S. officials.
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Meta Ramps Up Spending on AI Politics

Meta unveiled a new super PAC, the American Technology Excellence Project, pledging tens of millions of dollars to back state lawmakers supportive of AI. Last month, Meta introduced the Meta California PAC, which targets AI policy in that state. The company said it plans to spend “tens of millions” initially on the two PACs, reflecting Meta’s more-aggressive posture in campaigns and elections.
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98% Quantum Gate Fidelity Achieved with 3D-Printed Ion Traps

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and University of California institutions achieved 98% quantum gate fidelity using 3D-printed miniaturized ion traps. These millimeter-scale quadrupole traps confine calcium ions as qubits without cryogenic cooling, enabling longer coherence times. High-resolution 3D printing allows rapid prototyping—full traps in 14 hours, electrodes in 30 minutes—expanding design possibilities for hybrid planar-3D geometries. The team plans to integrate electronics and photonics directly onto chips to reduce noise and shrink hardware.
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Robots Prone to Privacy Leaks

Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have found that collaborative robots, despite using encryption, are vulnerable to privacy leaks through detectable traffic patterns. The researchers found that by analyzing the timing, frequency, and duration of encrypted commands, attackers could infer sensitive details such as patient conditions in hospitals or proprietary actions in factories. Using a Kinova Gen3 robotic arm, the team discovered that signal processing techniques, similar to those in noise-cancelling headphones, identified robot actions with 97% accuracy.
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