Google, a big company, is 25 years old this month. When it started in 1998, it was just a tool to find things on the internet. Now, it does a lot more. It is part of a bigger group of companies called Alphabet and is trying to be the best in AI (Artificial Intelligence). But some people think it is falling behind.

Google has made many things like email, phones, YouTube, and even cars that drive themselves. But not all of these things were successful. Now, people are asking if Google can continue to be everywhere in the fast-changing world of AI. A worker at Google said the company is not winning the AI race.

Many people first used AI with a chatbot called ChatGPT. This chatbot can answer questions in one go. Microsoft, another big company, liked it so much they are now using it in their own products. Google tried to make their own chatbot called Bard, but it was not as popular.

A worker at Google thought one of their AI tools, called Lamda, was like a real person. He said it had real feelings and thoughts. Google said this was not true and the worker was fired. But this made lots of people talk about AI and how it can be scary.

Google has not stopped trying. It has made 25 new AI products. They also own a UK company, DeepMind, that has made an AI program that could help discover new medicines. Some experts think Google’s AI could be its secret weapon. They believe Google’s cloud business, which lets other businesses use its computers and power, could be at the center of the AI revolution. Even though it is smaller than Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud businesses, it is still very strong.

A writer tried to avoid using Google’s services for one week. He said it was like shopping with only a candle for light. If even a small part of Google’s AI products can become a part of people’s lives in the same way, Google should be able to keep going.

Original news source: Google’s search for an AI future as it turns 25 (BBC)

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Brainstorm
Instructions: Start by writing the word “Google” on the board. Ask students to come up with words associated with Google, such as email, YouTube, AI, etc. Write these words on the board, creating a word web. This will activate students’ prior knowledge and encourage them to participate actively.

– Quick Quiz Teams
Instructions: Divide the students into teams. Ask each team to pick a word from the vocabulary brainstorm and write a short definition or explanation of the word in English. The teams then read out their definitions and the other teams guess the word. This will help students practice their English speaking and listening skills.

– Find the Facts
Instructions: Have the students read the article silently and list five facts they learned about Google. Then, in pairs, have them share their facts and discuss anything they found interesting or surprising. This activity strengthens reading comprehension and encourages conversation in English.

– Role Play: Interview
Instructions: Ask students to imagine they are interviewing a worker at Google. What questions would they ask? In pairs, have one student be the interviewer and the other the Google worker. They should use information from the article to create their questions and answers. This activity encourages creative thinking and gives students practice in both speaking and listening.

– Sentence Creation
Instructions: As a class, choose five vocabulary words from the brainstorm activity. Then, individually, have each student compose a sentence using each word. Afterward, students can share their sentences with the class. This helps students practice using new vocabulary in context.

Comprehension Questions:

1. How old is Google this month?
2. What are some things Google has made?
3. What is the name of the chatbot Google tried to make?
4. What did a worker at Google say about their AI tool called Lamda?
5. What happened to the worker who thought Lamda was like a real person?
6. What is the name of the UK company that Google owns?
7. What could the AI program made by DeepMind help with?
8. What did a writer say it was like trying to avoid using Google’s services for a week?
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What does Google make?
2. Do you like to use Google? Why or why not?
3. Why do some people think Google is not winning in AI?
4. What is a chatbot?
5. Do you think a chatbot is like a real person? Why or why not?
6. Have you ever used a chatbot? How was it?
7. Why do you think the worker at Google was fired?
8. Do you think AI is scary? Why or why not?
9. What is Google still trying to do?
10. What could Google’s AI do for medicine?
11. Do you know what the cloud is? What does it do?
12. Why is Google’s cloud business important?
13. How do you think you would feel without Google for a week?
14. How is Google like a candle when shopping?
15. Do you want Google’s AI in your life? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. Company
2. Internet
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
4. Email
5. Chatbot
6. Product
7. Worker
8. Revolution

Shuffled Meanings:
A) A big change that affects many people
B) A person who does a job
C) A place where people work together to make or sell things
D) A machine or program that can talk to people
E) A thing that is made to be sold
F) The big network of computers all over the world
G) A way to send messages quickly from one computer to another
H) Machines or programs that can learn and think like humans
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. How old is Google this month?
(a) 10 years old
(b) 25 years old
(c) 50 years old
(d) 100 years old

2. What was Google when it started in 1998?
(a) A tool to find things on the internet
(b) A phone company
(c) A car company
(d) A toy company

3. What is Google trying to be the best in?
(a) Making toys
(b) Building houses
(c) Cooking food
(d) AI (Artificial Intelligence)

4. What is one thing Google has made?
(a) Airplanes
(b) Boats
(c) Email
(d) Clothes

5. What is the name of the chatbot that Google made?
(a) ChatGPT
(b) Microsoft
(c) Bard
(d) Lamda

6. What did a worker at Google say about their AI tool, Lamda?
(a) It can fly
(b) It is like a real person
(c) It can make food
(d) It can swim

7. What is one thing Google’s AI could help with?
(a) Cleaning houses
(b) Discovering new medicines
(c) Teaching classes
(d) Making clothes

8. What did a writer say about not using Google’s services for one week?
(a) It was like shopping with only a candle for light
(b) It was like eating without a fork
(c) It was like swimming without water
(d) It was like driving without a car
Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Google is 50 years old this month.
2. Google is part of a bigger group of companies called Alphabet.
3. Google has made a chatbot called ChatGPT.
4. A worker at Google said the company is winning the AI race.
5. Google owns a UK company, DeepMind.
6. Google’s cloud business is bigger than Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud businesses.
7. A writer tried to avoid using Google’s services for one week.
8. Google has made 15 new AI products.
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 Google and how old is it?
2. What did Google start as?
3. Can Google do more than just help find things on the internet?
4. What are some things that Google has made?
5. What are some people saying about Google’s AI?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How old is Google this month?
– Google is 25 years old this month.

2. What are some things Google has made?
– Google has made email, phones, YouTube, and even cars that drive themselves.

3. What is the name of the chatbot Google tried to make?
– Google tried to make a chatbot called Bard.

4. What did a worker at Google say about their AI tool called Lamda?
– A worker at Google said that Lamda was like a real person with real feelings and thoughts.

5. What happened to the worker who thought Lamda was like a real person?
– The worker who said that Lamda was like a real person was fired.

6. What is the name of the UK company that Google owns?
– Google owns a UK company called DeepMind.

7. What could the AI program made by DeepMind help with?
– The AI program made by DeepMind could help discover new medicines.

8. What did a writer say it was like trying to avoid using Google’s services for a week?
– The writer said trying to avoid using Google’s services for a week was like shopping with only a candle for light.
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. Company
Answer: C) A place where people work together to make or sell things

2. Internet
Answer: F) The big network of computers all over the world

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Answer: H) Machines or programs that can learn and think like humans

4. Email
Answer: G) A way to send messages quickly from one computer to another

5. Chatbot
Answer: D) A machine or program that can talk to people

6. Product
Answer: E) A thing that is made to be sold

7. Worker
Answer: B) A person who does a job

8. Revolution
Answer: A) A big change that affects many people
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. How old is Google this month?
Answer: (b) 25 years old

2. What was Google when it started in 1998?
Answer: (a) A tool to find things on the internet

3. What is Google trying to be the best in?
Answer: (d) AI (Artificial Intelligence)

4. What is one thing Google has made?
Answer: (c) Email

5. What is the name of the chatbot that Google made?
Answer: (c) Bard

6. What did a worker at Google say about their AI tool, Lamda?
Answer: (b) It is like a real person

7. What is one thing Google’s AI could help with?
Answer: (b) Discovering new medicines

8. What did a writer say about not using Google’s services for one week?
Answer: (a) It was like shopping with only a candle for light
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Google is 50 years old this month.
Answer: False

2. Google is part of a bigger group of companies called Alphabet.
Answer: True

3. Google has made a chatbot called ChatGPT.
Answer: False

4. A worker at Google said the company is winning the AI race.
Answer: False

5. Google owns a UK company, DeepMind.
Answer: True

6. Google’s cloud business is bigger than Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud businesses.
Answer: False

7. A writer tried to avoid using Google’s services for one week.
Answer: True

8. Google has made 15 new AI products.
Answer: False
Go back to questions ⇧