WebAssembly: Yes, but for What?

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Bibliographic Details
Title: WebAssembly: Yes, but for What?
Authors: Wingo, Andy1 (AUTHOR) wingo@igalia.com
Source: Communications of the ACM. Nov2025, Vol. 68 Issue 11, p50-54. 5p.
Subject Terms: *APPLICATION program interfaces, *ARTIFICIAL intelligence, *DATA security, SOURCE code, COMPILERS (Computer programs), BINARY codes, CLOUD computing
Abstract: WebAssembly (Wasm) has proven effective for porting large C and C++ desktop applications to the Web and embedding components such as file handlers, per-pixel processors, and libraries like SQLite. Its strengths lie in use cases that require strong isolation between program components, such as browser plug-ins, virtualization, or security-critical software, while traditional web languages like JavaScript and TypeScript remain better suited for user-facing interfaces. Wasm also shows promise in cloud and confidential computing due to its fast cold-start characteristics, minimal abstraction overhead, and robust memory-safety guarantees, suggesting potential applications in operating-system drivers, isolated modules, or artificial intelligence tasks that handle sensitive data. Overall, the platform’s pattern of success points to environments where isolation, security, and controlled execution are prioritized.
Database: Business Source Index
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