IEEE Spectrum

IEEE Spectrum reports that AI tools are exposing long-standing flaws in legacy software, illustrated by the php2shell vulnerability class, where decades-old insecure coding patterns in PHP applications let attackers turn input into shell commands. The argument is that AI-assisted discovery and exploitation of such weaknesses is compounding an accumulated security debt from 40 years of software practices, forcing organizations to finally remediate old code.

IEEE Spectrum is asking whether robot babies are cute or creepy, highlighting the polarising reactions people have to lifelike infant robots. Such designs, often built for research into human-robot interaction or childcare assistance, tend to trigger strong emotional responses, with some finding them endearing and others unnerved by the uncanny valley effect. The debate over how lifelike robots should be continues to divide opinion.

IEEE Spectrum revisits the early days of the automobile, when electric cars were marketed primarily to women in the early 1900s. Electric vehicles were prized for being clean, quiet and easy to operate compared to hand-cranked gasoline cars, leading makers to target female drivers, while petrol cars were framed as rugged and masculine. The history is drawing attention amid today's electric vehicle boom.

IEEE Spectrum has released its annual ranking of the top programming languages for 2022. The interactive list, a regular fixture in the developer community, scores languages on factors such as job demand, open-source activity and industry use. Developers are weighing in on where Python, C, C++ and other languages stand and whether the rankings reflect real-world hiring and project trends.