The countries in Europe made a plan about how to use smart computer programs safely. They talked for a long time and decided on rules for programs that can chat like people or recognize faces. The rules say how these smart programs can be used and when the police can use them. People in Europe will vote on these rules soon, but they won’t start until a few years later.

A big boss in Europe said this plan is very important. He thinks it will help people in Europe make even smarter computer programs and be the best in the world. Another boss said these rules will make sure smart programs are safe and don’t hurt people’s rights. Europe is making these rules because other places in the world are doing the same.

The new rules will let people say if they think something is wrong with the smart programs and there can be big money penalties if the rules are not followed. They explain that smart programs are like helpers that can make things, guess things, or decide things because people tell them what to do. The rules will include programs that can write stories or make pictures by learning from lots of information. Europe wants to make sure that when people make new smart programs, they do it in a good and fair way.

Original news source: AI: EU agrees landmark deal on regulation of artificial intelligence (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. One student will be the “news reporter” and the other will be the “news summarizer”. The news reporter will read the article aloud to the news summarizer, who will then summarize the main points of the article in their own words. After a few minutes, have the pairs switch roles and repeat the activity.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the students into small groups. Give each group a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think it is important to have rules for smart computer programs?” or “Do you think smart programs will make people’s lives easier or more difficult?” Have the groups discuss the questions and record their opinions. Then, have each group share their opinions with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board, such as “smart programs”, “rules”, “penalties”, etc. Divide the students into teams. Give each team a whiteboard or a large piece of paper. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and you will give them a vocabulary word. They must draw a picture to represent the word and their team must guess what word it is. The team with the most correct guesses wins.

– Sketch It
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. One student will be the “sketcher” and the other will be the “describer”. The describer will read a sentence from the article to the sketcher, who will then try to draw a picture based on the description. After each sentence, have the pairs switch roles and continue until they have gone through the entire article.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the students into small groups. Give each group a list of questions about the future of smart computer programs, such as “What do you think smart programs will be able to do in the next 10 years?” or “How do you think smart programs will change our daily lives?” Have the groups discuss the questions and make predictions. Then, have each group share their predictions with the class.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What did the countries in Europe make a plan about?
2. Why did they make rules for smart computer programs?
3. When will people in Europe vote on these rules?
4. What did the big boss in Europe think about the plan?
5. Why is Europe making these rules?
6. What will happen if the rules for smart programs are not followed?
7. Why does Europe want people to make new smart programs in a good and fair way?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

The countries in Europe (1)______ a plan about how to use smart computer programs safely. They talked for a long time and decided on rules for programs that can (2)______ like people or recognize faces. The rules say how these smart programs can be (3)______ and when the police can use them. People in Europe will vote on these rules soon, but they won’t start until a few years later.

A big boss in Europe said this plan is very important. He (4)______ it will help people in Europe make even smarter (5)______ programs and be the best in the (6)______. Another boss said these rules will make sure smart programs are safe and don’t hurt people’s rights. Europe is making these rules because other (7)______ in the world are doing the same.

The new rules will let people say if they think something is wrong with the (8)______ (9)______ and there can be big money penalties if the rules are not followed. They explain that smart programs are like helpers that can make things, guess things, or decide things because (10)______ (11)______ them what to do. The rules will include programs that can write stories or make pictures by learning from lots of information. Europe (12)______ to make sure that when people make new smart programs, they do it in a good and fair way.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is a smart computer program?
2. How would you feel if a computer program could chat like a person?
3. Do you think it’s important to have rules for smart computer programs? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the idea of people voting on these rules?
5. How would you feel if a smart program made a mistake and hurt someone’s rights?
6. Do you like the idea of smart programs being able to write stories or make pictures? Why or why not?
7. What do you think about the idea of big money penalties if the rules are not followed?
8. How do you think smart programs can be helpful in our daily lives?
9. What kind of smart program would you like to create if you could?
10. Do you think it’s fair for Europe to make rules for smart programs? Why or why not?
11. How would you feel if you had the power to decide how smart programs are made?
12. What do you think about the idea of smart programs learning from lots of information?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. computer programs
2. smart
3. rules
4. police
5. vote
6. boss
7. safe
8. hurt
9. rights
10. penalties
11. helpers
12. fair

Meanings:
(A) To make a choice or decision by raising your hand or marking a paper
(B) A set of instructions that tell a computer what to do
(C) Treating everyone the same and being fair to everyone
(D) Punishments or fines for not following the rules
(E) The person in charge who tells others what to do
(F) The things that everyone is allowed to do or have
(G) Clever or intelligent
(H) To cause pain or harm to someone or something
(I) People or things that help you do something
(J) People who make sure everyone follows the rules and keeps everyone safe
(K) Guidelines or instructions that must be followed
(L) Not in danger or harm
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did the countries in Europe make a plan about?
(a) How to use smart computer programs safely
(b) How to make the best smart computer programs in the world
(c) How to make money from smart computer programs
(d) How to stop using smart computer programs

2. Who will vote on the new rules?
(a) People in other places in the world
(b) The police
(c) The big bosses in Europe
(d) People in Europe

3. Why does the big boss in Europe think the plan is important?
(a) It will make sure smart programs are safe and don’t hurt people’s rights
(b) It will help people in Europe make even smarter computer programs
(c) It will make Europe the best in the world at using smart programs
(d) It will make lots of money for Europe

4. What will happen if the rules are not followed?
(a) There can be big money penalties
(b) The smart programs will be shut down
(c) The police will take over the smart programs
(d) People in Europe will vote again on the rules

5. What do the rules say about smart programs?
(a) How they can make money and who can use them
(b) How they can learn from lots of information
(c) How they can write stories and make pictures
(d) How they can be used and when the police can use them

6. Why is Europe making these rules?
(a) Europe wants to be the best at using smart programs
(b) Europe wants to make lots of money from smart programs
(c) Other places in the world are doing the same
(d) People in Europe are not allowed to use smart programs

7. What do the rules want to make sure about new smart programs?
(a) They are made by the police
(b) They are made to make lots of money
(c) They are made in a good and fair way
(d) They are made to hurt people’s rights

8. What are smart programs like?
(a) Friends that can talk and play games
(b) Helpers that can make things, guess things, or decide things
(c) Teachers that can teach lots of subjects
(d) Robots that can do all the housework

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. The rules will not cover programs that can write stories or make pictures by learning from lots of information, and Europe does not want to make sure that new smart programs are made in a good and fair way.
2. The plan includes rules for programs that can chat like people or recognize faces.
3. The rules will determine how these smart programs can be used and when the police can use them.
4. The plan is not considered important by a big boss in Europe, who believes it will not help Europe become the best in the world in terms of smart computer programs.
5. Another boss believes that these rules will ensure the safety of smart programs and protect people’s rights.
6. The people in Europe will not vote on these rules soon, and they will start immediately.
7. The new rules will allow people to report if they think something is wrong with smart programs, and there can be big money penalties for not following the rules.
8. European countries have not made a plan to use smart computer programs safely.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What did the countries in Europe make a plan about?
2. What are the rules for the smart computer programs?
3. Who will vote on these rules?
4. Why does the big boss in Europe think this plan is important?
5. Why is Europe making these rules?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. The countries in Europe made a plan about how to use smart computer programs safely.
2. They made rules for smart computer programs to ensure they are safe and don’t hurt people’s rights.
3. People in Europe will vote on these rules soon, but they won’t start until a few years later.
4. The big boss in Europe thought the plan was very important and believes it will help people in Europe make even smarter computer programs and be the best in the world.
5. Europe is making these rules because other places in the world are doing the same.
6. If the rules for smart programs are not followed, there can be big money penalties.
7. Europe wants people to make new smart programs in a good and fair way to ensure that they are made responsibly and ethically.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) made
(2) chat
(3) used
(4) thinks
(5) computer
(6) world
(7) places
(8) smart
(9) programs
(10) people
(11) tell
(12) wants
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. computer programs
Answer: (B) A set of instructions that tell a computer what to do

2. smart
Answer: (G) Clever or intelligent

3. rules
Answer: (K) Guidelines or instructions that must be followed

4. police
Answer: (J) People who make sure everyone follows the rules and keeps everyone safe

5. vote
Answer: (A) To make a choice or decision by raising your hand or marking a paper

6. boss
Answer: (E) The person in charge who tells others what to do

7. safe
Answer: (L) Not in danger or harm

8. hurt
Answer: (H) To cause pain or harm to someone or something

9. rights
Answer: (F) The things that everyone is allowed to do or have

10. penalties
Answer: (D) Punishments or fines for not following the rules

11. helpers
Answer: (I) People or things that help you do something

12. fair
Answer: (C) Treating everyone the same and being fair to everyone
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did the countries in Europe make a plan about?
Answer: (a) How to use smart computer programs safely

2. Who will vote on the new rules?
Answer: (d) People in Europe

3. Why does the big boss in Europe think the plan is important?
Answer: (b) It will help people in Europe make even smarter computer programs

4. What will happen if the rules are not followed?
Answer: (a) There can be big money penalties

5. What do the rules say about smart programs?
Answer: (d) How they can be used and when the police can use them

6. Why is Europe making these rules?
Answer: (c) Other places in the world are doing the same

7. What do the rules want to make sure about new smart programs?
Answer: (c) They are made in a good and fair way

8. What are smart programs like?
Answer: (b) Helpers that can make things, guess things, or decide things
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. The rules will not cover programs that can write stories or make pictures by learning from lots of information, and Europe does not want to make sure that new smart programs are made in a good and fair way. (Answer: False)
2. The plan includes rules for programs that can chat like people or recognize faces. (Answer: True)
3. The rules will determine how these smart programs can be used and when the police can use them. (Answer: True)
4. The plan is not considered important by a big boss in Europe, who believes it will not help Europe become the best in the world in terms of smart computer programs. (Answer: False)
5. Another boss believes that these rules will ensure the safety of smart programs and protect people’s rights. (Answer: True)
6. The people in Europe will not vote on these rules soon, and they will start immediately. (Answer: False)
7. The new rules will allow people to report if they think something is wrong with smart programs, and there can be big money penalties for not following the rules. (Answer: True)
8. European countries have not made a plan to use smart computer programs safely. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧