Paul Holmes -
University
English Professor

Free Materials For ESL Teachers and Learners

English Newsroom

Learn English through news articles - complete lesson plans, including articles, listening, classroom activities, quiz questions and more!

AI’s Role in TV Production: Generating Ideas and Assisting Creativity

TV production companies are exploring the use of AI to generate ideas for new shows, but some experts argue that AI can never replicate the spark of human creativity.

Try this article at a different level?

 

TV production companies are starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help them come up with ideas for new shows. RTL Group and Banijay have both said they are using AI in content creation. So far, no TV series created by AI has been shown to the public, but people are excited about the possibilities. A reporter who writes about technology decided to test an AI chatbot to see if it could come up with a new TV show idea. The AI suggested a show called “Skills Mastery Showdown,” where contestants would have to learn a new skill in a short amount of time with the help of experienced mentors. Some experts in the TV industry think AI can be helpful in coming up with ideas and making production faster, but others think that AI can’t replace the creativity of humans. Right now, AI is mostly used for things like watching live camera feeds and analyzing how people behave. But some people who work in TV production think that in the future, AI will be able to create really great TV shows.

Original news source: Will AI dream up the hit TV shows of the future? (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

1artificialMade by humans, not natural
2possibilitiesThings that might happen or be true
3reporterA person who writes news stories
4chatbotA computer program that can talk with people
5contestantsPeople who take part in a competition
6mentorsPeople who give advice and help others learn
7industryA group of businesses that make similar products or services
8creativityThe ability to make new and original ideas
9analyzingExamining something carefully to understand it
10productionThe process of making something, especially in large amounts
11contentThe information or material in a book, movie, etc.
12creationThe act of making something new
13experiencedHaving a lot of knowledge or skill in something
14behaviorThe way someone acts
15futureThe time that will come after the present

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article. Then, ask each group to summarize the main points of the article in their own words. Each group will take turns presenting their summaries to the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down some key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper. Distribute the papers randomly to the students. Each student will take turns drawing one of the words on the board, while the rest of the class tries to guess the word. The student who guesses correctly gets to draw the next word.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think about and jot down their own ideas for a new TV show based on the concept of AI. After a few minutes, pair up the students and ask them to share their ideas with each other. Finally, have a few pairs share their ideas with the whole class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups: one in favor of using AI in TV production and the other against it. Ask each group to come up with at least three reasons to support their opinion. Then, conduct a class debate where each group presents their reasons and tries to convince the other group to change their opinion.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students work in pairs or small groups. Ask them to imagine what TV production will look like in the future with the help of AI. They can brainstorm ideas such as AI-generated scripts, virtual reality shows, or interactive TV experiences. Each group will share their predictions with the class.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What are TV production companies using artificial intelligence for?
2. Has any TV series created by AI been shown to the public yet?
3. What did the AI chatbot suggest for a new TV show idea?
4. How do some experts in the TV industry think AI can be helpful?
5. What is AI mostly used for in TV production right now?
6. Do some people who work in TV production think that AI will be able to create great TV shows in the future?
7. Why are people excited about the possibilities of using AI in TV production?
8. Why do some people think that AI can’t replace the creativity of humans in TV production?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

TV production (1)______ are (2)______ to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help them come up with ideas for new shows. RTL Group and Banijay have both said they are (3)______ AI in content (4)______. So far, no TV series created by AI has been shown to the public, but (5)______ are excited about the possibilities. A reporter who (6)______ about (7)______ decided to test an AI chatbot to see if it could come up with a new TV show idea. The AI suggested a show called “Skills Mastery (8)______,” where contestants would have to learn a new skill in a short amount of time with the help of (9)______ mentors. Some experts in the TV industry (10)______ AI can be helpful in coming up with (11)______ and (12)______ production faster, but others think that AI can’t replace the (13)______ of humans. Right now, AI is mostly used for things like watching live (14)______ feeds and analyzing how people (15)______. But some people who work in TV production think that in the (16)______, AI will be able to create really great TV shows.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is artificial intelligence (AI) and how is it being used in TV production?
2. How would you feel if a TV show was created entirely by AI? Why or why not?
3. Do you think AI can be helpful in coming up with new TV show ideas? Why or why not?
4. What are some advantages of using AI in TV production?
5. Do you think AI can replace the creativity of humans? Why or why not?
6. How do you think AI could make TV production faster?
7. Have you ever watched a TV show where contestants had to learn a new skill? Did you enjoy it? Why or why not?
8. What are some potential challenges of using AI in TV production?
9. Do you think AI will be able to create really great TV shows in the future? Why or why not?
10. How do you think AI could improve the quality of TV shows?
11. Have you ever interacted with a chatbot before? What was your experience like?
12. Why do you think people are excited about the possibilities of AI in TV production?
13. Do you think AI could take over jobs in the TV industry? Why or why not?
14. How do you think AI could impact the entertainment industry as a whole?
15. Would you be interested in watching a TV show created by AI? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. artificial
2. possibilities
3. reporter
4. chatbot
5. contestants
6. mentors
7. industry
8. creativity
9. analyzing
10. production
11. content
12. creation
13. experienced
14. behavior
15. future

Meanings:
(A) The way someone acts
(B) Things that might happen or be true
(C) Having a lot of knowledge or skill in something
(D) People who give advice and help others learn
(E) A group of businesses that make similar products or services
(F) The process of making something, especially in large amounts
(G) The act of making something new
(H) The information or material in a book, movie, etc.
(I) Examining something carefully to understand it
(J) Made by humans, not natural
(K) A computer program that can talk with people
(L) The time that will come after the present
(M) People who take part in a competition
(N) A person who writes news stories
(O) The ability to make new and original ideas
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are TV production companies starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) for?
(a) To analyze live camera feeds
(b) To replace the creativity of humans
(c) To make production slower
(d) To help them come up with ideas for new shows

2. Has a TV series created by AI been shown to the public yet?
(a) Yes
(b) No
(c) Maybe
(d) Not mentioned in the article

3. What did an AI chatbot suggest for a new TV show idea?
(a) “AI Creators”
(b) “The Robot Revolution”
(c) “The Future of TV”
(d) “Skills Mastery Showdown”

4. In “Skills Mastery Showdown,” what would contestants have to do?
(a) Learn a new skill in a short amount of time
(b) Compete in a talent show
(c) Solve difficult math problems
(d) Perform dangerous stunts

5. What do some experts in the TV industry think about AI in content creation?
(a) It can replace the creativity of humans
(b) It can be helpful in coming up with ideas and making production faster
(c) It is not useful at all
(d) It can only analyze live camera feeds

6. What is AI mostly used for in TV production right now?
(a) Creating new TV shows
(b) Editing footage
(c) Watching live camera feeds and analyzing how people behave
(d) Writing scripts

7. What do some people who work in TV production think about the future of AI?
(a) AI will be able to create really great TV shows
(b) AI will never be able to create TV shows
(c) AI will only be used for analyzing live camera feeds
(d) AI will replace all humans in TV production

8. What is the main idea of this article?
(a) AI chatbots are better than humans at creating TV shows
(b) AI is currently being used to replace humans in TV production
(c) TV production companies are using AI to come up with new show ideas
(d) AI will never be able to create good TV shows

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Currently, AI is mainly used for tasks like watching live camera feeds and analyzing human behavior, but some people in TV production believe that AI will eventually be capable of creating excellent TV shows.
2. TV production companies are not using artificial intelligence (AI) to help them come up with ideas for new shows.
3. RTL Group and Banijay are two TV production companies that have confirmed their use of AI in content creation.
4. The AI chatbot suggested a show called “Skills Mastery Showdown,” where contestants would not learn a new skill in a short time with the help of experienced mentors.
5. However, there are others who think that AI cannot replace the creativity of humans.
6. Despite the excitement, all TV series created by AI has been shown to the public yet.
7. Some experts in the TV industry believe that AI can be helpful in generating ideas and speeding up production.
8. A technology reporter decided not to test an AI chatbot to see if it could come up with a new TV show idea.
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 are RTL Group and Banijay using artificial intelligence for?
2. Has a TV series created by AI been shown to the public yet?
3. What was the TV show idea suggested by the AI chatbot?
4. What are some opinions about using AI in the TV industry?
5. What is AI currently used for in TV production?

Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. TV production companies are using artificial intelligence to help them come up with ideas for new shows.
Answer: TV production companies are using artificial intelligence to help them come up with ideas for new shows.

2. Has any TV series created by AI been shown to the public yet?
Answer: No, no TV series created by AI has been shown to the public yet.

3. What did the AI chatbot suggest for a new TV show idea?
Answer: The AI chatbot suggested a show called “Skills Mastery Showdown,” where contestants would have to learn a new skill in a short amount of time with the help of experienced mentors.

4. How do some experts in the TV industry think AI can be helpful?
Answer: Some experts in the TV industry think AI can be helpful in coming up with ideas and making production faster.

5. What is AI mostly used for in TV production right now?
Answer: AI is mostly used for things like watching live camera feeds and analyzing how people behave.

6. Do some people who work in TV production think that AI will be able to create great TV shows in the future?
Answer: Yes, some people who work in TV production think that AI will be able to create great TV shows in the future.

7. Why are people excited about the possibilities of using AI in TV production?
Answer: People are excited about the possibilities of using AI in TV production because it can help come up with new ideas and make production faster.

8. Why do some people think that AI can’t replace the creativity of humans in TV production?
Answer: Some people think that AI can’t replace the creativity of humans in TV production because they believe that human creativity is unique and cannot be replicated by machines.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) companies
(2) starting
(3) using
(4) creation
(5) people
(6) writes
(7) technology
(8) Showdown
(9) experienced
(10) think
(11) ideas
(12) making
(13) creativity
(14) camera
(15) behave
(16) future
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. artificial
Answer: (J) Made by humans, not natural

2. possibilities
Answer: (B) Things that might happen or be true

3. reporter
Answer: (N) A person who writes news stories

4. chatbot
Answer: (K) A computer program that can talk with people

5. contestants
Answer: (M) People who take part in a competition

6. mentors
Answer: (D) People who give advice and help others learn

7. industry
Answer: (E) A group of businesses that make similar products or services

8. creativity
Answer: (O) The ability to make new and original ideas

9. analyzing
Answer: (I) Examining something carefully to understand it

10. production
Answer: (F) The process of making something, especially in large amounts

11. content
Answer: (H) The information or material in a book, movie, etc.

12. creation
Answer: (G) The act of making something new

13. experienced
Answer: (C) Having a lot of knowledge or skill in something

14. behavior
Answer: (A) The way someone acts

15. future
Answer: (L) The time that will come after the present
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are TV production companies starting to use artificial intelligence (AI) for?
Answer: (d) To help them come up with ideas for new shows

2. Has a TV series created by AI been shown to the public yet?
Answer: (b) No

3. What did an AI chatbot suggest for a new TV show idea?
Answer: (d) “Skills Mastery Showdown”

4. In “Skills Mastery Showdown,” what would contestants have to do?
Answer: (a) Learn a new skill in a short amount of time

5. What do some experts in the TV industry think about AI in content creation?
Answer: (b) It can be helpful in coming up with ideas and making production faster

6. What is AI mostly used for in TV production right now?
Answer: (c) Watching live camera feeds and analyzing how people behave

7. What do some people who work in TV production think about the future of AI?
Answer: (a) AI will be able to create really great TV shows

8. What is the main idea of this article?
Answer: (c) TV production companies are using AI to come up with new show ideas
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Currently, AI is mainly used for tasks like watching live camera feeds and analyzing human behavior, but some people in TV production believe that AI will eventually be capable of creating excellent TV shows. (Answer: True)
2. TV production companies are not using artificial intelligence (AI) to help them come up with ideas for new shows. (Answer: False)
3. RTL Group and Banijay are two TV production companies that have confirmed their use of AI in content creation. (Answer: True)
4. The AI chatbot suggested a show called “Skills Mastery Showdown,” where contestants would not learn a new skill in a short time with the help of experienced mentors. (Answer: False)
5. However, there are others who think that AI cannot replace the creativity of humans. (Answer: True)
6. Despite the excitement, all TV series created by AI has been shown to the public yet. (Answer: False)
7. Some experts in the TV industry believe that AI can be helpful in generating ideas and speeding up production. (Answer: True)
8. A technology reporter decided not to test an AI chatbot to see if it could come up with a new TV show idea. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧

How about these other Level 3 articles?

Feedback