Artificial intelligence (AI) is a kind of computer program that can think and learn like a human. Some experts are worried that AI is becoming too powerful and could be dangerous. They have written a letter asking for a six-month break in training the most powerful AIs. Elon Musk, who runs Tesla and Twitter, and Steve Wozniak, who started Apple, are some of the experts who signed the letter. They are worried that if we don’t slow down, we could create AIs that are too powerful and might hurt us. They also think that AIs might take away many jobs in the future. The letter says that we should take a break to make sure we don’t create something we can’t control.
Original news source: Elon Musk among experts urging a halt to AI training (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
1. AI Brainstorm
Instructions: Have students brainstorm a list of things they think AI could do in the future to help people. Write their ideas on the whiteboard and discuss as a class.
2. AI Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. Have one group list the pros of developing powerful AI, and the other group list the cons. Then, have each group share their list with the class.
3. AI Debate
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. Have one group argue that we should continue to develop powerful AI, and the other group argue that we should take a break in training the most powerful AIs. Have each group present their argument to the class.
5. AI Predictions
Instructions: Have students make predictions about what AI will be capable of in the future. Write their ideas on the whiteboard and discuss as a class. Then, have students write a short paragraph about what they think the future of AI will look like.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
2. Why are some experts worried about AI becoming too powerful?
3. Who wrote the letter asking for a break in training the most powerful AIs?
4. What could happen if we don’t slow down with AI development?
5. Who are some of the experts who signed the letter?
6. What do the experts think AIs might do in the future?
7. What does the letter say we should do?
8. Why should we take a break in training the most powerful AIs?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a type of computer program that can think and learn like a person. Some experts are scared that AI is becoming too (1)________ and could be dangerous. They have written a letter asking for a six-month break in training the most (2)________ AIs. Elon Musk, who runs Tesla and Twitter, and Steve Wozniak, who started Apple, are some of the experts who signed the letter. They are worried that if we don’t (3)________ down, we could create AIs that are too powerful and might hurt us. They also think that AIs might take away many (4)________ in the future. The letter says that we should take a break to make sure we don’t create something we can’t (5)________.
(1)powerful
(2)powerful
(3)slow
(4)jobs
(5)control
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is artificial intelligence?
2. Who wrote a letter about AI being dangerous?
3. Why are some experts worried about AI?
4. Who signed the letter about AI?
5. What might happen if we don’t slow down with AI?
6. What could AIs do in the future?
7. Why does the letter say we should take a break from training AIs?
8. What might happen if we create something we can’t control?
9. Do you think AI is dangerous? Why or why not?
10. Have you ever heard of Elon Musk or Steve Wozniak?
11. What kind of companies do Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak run?
12. Have you ever used a computer program that uses AI?
13. What jobs do you think AIs might take away in the future?
14. Do you think AIs will become more powerful in the future?
15. What do you think we should do to make sure AIs don’t become too dangerous?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. Artificial intelligence
2. Computer program
3. Think
4. Learn
5. Dangerous
6. Experts
7. Powerful
8. Jobs
Meanings:
A) People who know a lot about something
B) Something that can hurt you
C) To get information in your mind
D) To get better at something
E) Something that can work on a computer
F) Something that can do things on its own, like a person
G) A way to make money by working
H) To stop doing something for a while to make sure it’s safe
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Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
(a) a kind of human
(b) a type of computer program
(c) a type of car
(d) a type of animal
2. Can AI think and learn like a human?
(a) Yes
(b) No
(c) Maybe
(d) Only on Sundays
3. Why are some experts worried about AI?
(a) They want to be famous
(b) They don’t like computers
(c) They think it might be dangerous
(d) They think it’s too expensive
4. Who signed the letter asking for a break in training the most powerful AIs?
(a) The president and the queen
(b) Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak
(c) Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny
(d) Batman and Superman
5. What are the experts worried might happen if we don’t slow down training AIs?
(a) We might create AIs that are too powerful and might hurt us
(b) We might create AIs that are too weak and might help us
(c) We might create AIs that are too funny and might make us laugh too much
(d) We might create AIs that are too lazy and might not do anything
6. What do the experts think AIs might do in the future?
(a) Take away many jobs
(b) Give us more jobs
(c) Make us all rich
(d) Make us all famous
7. What does the letter say we should do?
(a) Take a break to make sure we don’t create something we can’t control
(b) Train AIs as fast as possible
(c) Create as many AIs as we can
(d) Ignore the danger of AIs
8. What does Elon Musk do?
(a) He runs Tesla and Twitter
(b) He is a famous actor
(c) He is a chef
(d) He is a professional gamer
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True or False Questions:
1. AI is a computer program that can think and learn like a human.
2. Some experts are not worried about AI becoming too powerful.
3. Elon Musk is one of the experts who signed the letter about AIs.
4. The letter is asking for a ten-year break in training the most powerful AIs.
5. Experts are not worried that AIs could hurt us.
6. AIs might take away many jobs in the future.
7. The letter says we should take a break to make sure we don’t create something we can’t control.
8. AI is not dangerous.
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 is artificial intelligence?
2. Can artificial intelligence think and learn like humans?
3. Why are some experts worried about artificial intelligence becoming too powerful?
4. Who signed the letter asking for a break in training the most powerful AIs?
5. What might happen if we don’t slow down with artificial intelligence?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Answer: Artificial Intelligence is a computer program that can think like a human.
2. Why are some experts worried about AI becoming too powerful?
Answer: Some experts are worried that if AI becomes too powerful, it could be dangerous.
3. Who wrote the letter asking for a break in training the most powerful AIs?
Answer: Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak were some of the experts who wrote the letter.
4. What could happen if we don’t slow down with AI development?
Answer: If we don’t slow down with AI development, we could create AIs that are too powerful and might hurt us.
5. Who are some of the experts who signed the letter?
Answer: Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak were some of the experts who signed the letter.
6. What do the experts think AIs might do in the future?
Answer: The experts think AIs might take away many jobs in the future.
7. What does the letter say we should do?
Answer: The letter says we should take a break in training the most powerful AIs to make sure we don’t create something we can’t control.
8. Why should we take a break in training the most powerful AIs?
Answer: We should take a break in training the most powerful AIs to make sure we don’t create something we can’t control.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. powerful
2. powerful
3. slow
4. jobs
5. control
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. Artificial intelligence
Answer: F) Something that can do things on its own, like a person
2. Computer program
Answer: E) Something that can work on a computer
3. Think
Answer: C) To get information in your mind
4. Learn
Answer: D) To get better at something
5. Dangerous
Answer: B) Something that can hurt you
6. Experts
Answer: A) People who know a lot about something
7. Powerful
Answer: F) Something that can do things on its own, like a person
8. Jobs
Answer: G) A way to make money by working
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
Answer: (b) a type of computer program
2. Can AI think and learn like a human?
Answer: (a) Yes
3. Why are some experts worried about AI?
Answer: (c) They think it might be dangerous
4. Who signed the letter asking for a break in training the most powerful AIs?
Answer: (b) Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak
5. What are the experts worried might happen if we don’t slow down training AIs?
Answer: (a) We might create AIs that are too powerful and might hurt us
6. What do the experts think AIs might do in the future?
Answer: (a) Take away many jobs
7. What does the letter say we should do?
Answer: (a) Take a break to make sure we don’t create something we can’t control
8. What does Elon Musk do?
Answer: (a) He runs Tesla and Twitter
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. AI is a computer program that can think and learn like a human.
Answer: True
2. Some experts are not worried about AI becoming too powerful.
Answer: False
3. Elon Musk is one of the experts who signed the letter about AIs.
Answer: True
4. The letter is asking for a ten-year break in training the most powerful AIs.
Answer: False
5. Experts are not worried that AIs could hurt us.
Answer: False
6. AIs might take away many jobs in the future.
Answer: True
7. The letter says we should take a break to make sure we don’t create something we can’t control.
Answer: True
8. AI is not dangerous.
Answer: False
Go back to questions ⇧
