Welcome to the April 4, 2025 edition of ACM TechNews, providing timely information for computer professionals three times a week.

HEADLINES AT A GLANCE

• Guerraoui Receives 2024 ACM Barroso Award
• Cerf, Other Tech Experts Warn of Over-reliance on AI
• Switzerland Expands Export Controls to Include Quantum Tech
• Australian Superannuation Funds Hit by Cyberattacks
• World Bank Backs Africa Digital Data Push
• Poland PM Says His Party was Targeted in Cyberattack Ahead of Election
• 3D Tech Paves Way for Next-Gen Eye Tracking
• NFL to Use Camera Technology to Measure First Downs
• Papa Johns Wants AI to Transform Pizza Ordering
• Oracle Tells Clients of Second Recent Hack
• The North Korea Worker Problem Is Bigger Than You Think
• AI-Enhanced 3D Printing Could Transform Food Production

Guerraoui Receives 2024 ACM Barroso Award

Rachid Guerraoui, a professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland, is the recipient of the inaugural ACM Luiz André Barroso Award for theoretical and applied contributions to distributed computing and impactful work on promoting computer science in Africa. The Award was established to recognize researchers from historically underrepresented communities who have made fundamental contributions to computer science. Said ACM President Yannis Ioannidis, “In the spirit of Luiz Barroso, Guerraoui’s technical achievements are wide-ranging and highly influential."
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Cerf, Other Tech Experts Warn of Over-reliance on AI

In a report released by researchers at Elon University on Wednesday, ACM A.M. Turing laureate Vint Cerf and 300 other tech experts warned that over-reliance on AI could have negative implications for skills like deep thinking and moral judgment. The report’s contributors expect benefits from the technology to be seen in just three areas: curiosity and capacity to learn; decision-making; and problem-solving and innovative thinking and creativity.
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Switzerland Expands Export Controls to Include Quantum Tech

Switzerland has announced plans to broaden its export control framework to cover a range of dual-use emerging technologies, including quantum computing, semiconductors, AI, and additive manufacturing. The change is intended to ensure that Swiss export practices remain aligned with international standards while maintaining access to essential technologies for domestic industry and research institutions. Similar controls were introduced in the U.S. in 2023 and by France last year.
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Australian Superannuation Funds Hit by Cyberattacks

Several Australian superannuation funds have been hit with suspected cyberattacks, with members of one fund losing a total of A$500,000 in retirement savings. AustralianSuper confirmed on Friday afternoon that members had been struggling to get into their accounts, and that some accounts were showing zero funds. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia said that other funds also had experienced attempted cyberattacks over the weekend.
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World Bank Backs Africa Digital Data Push

The World Bank is investing $100 million in Raxio Group to fund datacenters from Ethiopia to Angola. Africa accounts for less than 1% of the world's datacenter capacity, while global mobile data usage grows by around 40% annually. The debt funding by the World Bank's International Finance Corporation IFC is the largest such investment to date in Africa. It comes as global tech giants and infrastructure investors look to Africa as the next battleground for cloud services.
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Poland PM Says His Party was Targeted in Cyberattack Ahead of Election

Polish Prime Minister (PM) Donald Tusk said his Civic Platform party’s computer system had been targeted by a cyberattack. “Foreign interference in elections begins. Services point to eastern trace,” Tusk said. Jan Grabiec, the head of Tusk’s office, said the cyberattack consisted of an attempt to take control of computers of employees of the Civic Platform office and the election staff over about a dozen hours on Wednesday. Poland is weeks away from the first round of a presidential election.
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3D Tech Paves Way for Next-Gen Eye Tracking

University of Arizona researchers combined the 3D imaging technique deflectometry and advanced computation to improve eye-tracking applications. The use of deflectometry allows directional information to be captured from more than 40,000 surface points extracted from one instantaneous camera image, compared to only a dozen surface points with current eye-tracking techniques. The computational reconstruction uses 3D surface data from the cornea and the sclera to predict gaze direction accurately.
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NFL to Use Camera Technology to Measure First Downs

The National Football League (NFL) has installed six cameras from the Sony-owned sports review tech company Hawk-Eye in each of its 30 stadiums as part of a new system that will automatically measure for first downs. The NFL said the camera-based system is about 40 seconds faster per measurement than traditional chain crews. The system will display virtual recreations inside stadiums and on television.
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Papa Johns Wants AI to Transform Pizza Ordering

Papa John's International on Thursday announced an expanded partnership with Google Cloud, aiming to bring AI into the pizza ordering domain. The company's plan is to use AI to personalize phone push notifications suggesting orders, marketing emails, and loyalty program offerings based on analysis of past customer behavior and other context. The pizza chain also plans to add a new online chatbot and the ability to place orders through virtual assistants.
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Oracle Tells Clients of Second Recent Hack

Oracle has told customers that a hacker broke into a computer system and stole old client log-in credentials, the second cybersecurity breach the software company has acknowledged to clients in the last month. Oracle staff informed some clients this week that the attacker gained access to usernames, passkeys, and encrypted passwords, according to sources, who added that the attacker sought an extortion payment from the company.
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The North Korea Worker Problem Is Bigger Than You Think

Insider risk management firm DTEX said the worldwide infiltration of companies by North Korean nationals extends to roles outside traditional IT. The company estimates North Korean operatives have infiltrated thousands of critical infrastructure organizations. DTEX's Mohan Koo said the company is involved in active investigations of 7% of its customer base, which includes Fortune Global 2,000 organizations. Some of these investigations have found the infiltrators obtained "the keys to the kingdom," said Koo.
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AI-Enhanced 3D Printing Could Transform Food Production

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology researchers developed an AI-assisted 3D food printing system that combines infrared heating and extrusion-based printing. Generative algorithms and Python scripts are used to design complex food patterns, and graphene heaters precisely cook of starch-based foods to ensure shape and quality. Said the university’s Mitch LI Guijun, “We’re excited about the potential of this technology to deliver customized, safe, and delicious food with a process that is both efficient and accessible.”
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