The term “artificial intelligence” has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary due to its increased usage in 2023. This reflects the growing conversations about the potential impact of AI on society, whether it will bring revolutionary advancements or catastrophic consequences. The publisher noted that the use of this term has quadrupled in the past year, making it a significant topic of discussion.
According to Collins managing director Alex Beecroft, AI has become a focal point of 2023, with its rapid development and integration into everyday life comparable to technologies like email and streaming. The profound impact of artificial intelligence on our rapidly evolving world, driven by the power of algorithms and data, has led to its selection as the word of the year.
The announcement coincides with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosting a summit to discuss how to maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks. Additionally, the use of AI technology by the Beatles to retrieve John Lennon’s vocals from an old cassette for their upcoming release demonstrates its diverse applications.
The word of the year typically reflects the prevailing concerns of the time. In 2022, it was “permacrisis,” while 2020 was dominated by the word “lockdown.” Other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 included “ultraprocessed,” “debanking,” and “greedflation,” reflecting the diverse range of topics that have captured public attention.
Overall, the selection of “artificial intelligence” as the word of the year underscores the increasing significance of AI in contemporary discourse and its potential impact on various aspects of society.
Original news source: AI named word of the year by Collins Dictionary (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Students are asked to write a brief summary of the article, condensing its main points into a short paragraph. Encourage them to focus on the key aspects such as the reason behind the selection of “artificial intelligence” as the word of the year, its increased usage, and its significance in contemporary society. After writing, students will share their summaries with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a series of statements about the impact of AI on society based on the article (e.g., “AI will bring more positive changes than negative”, “AI poses a significant threat to job security”, etc.). Students will walk around the class and poll their classmates’ opinions on these statements. After collecting the data, they will discuss the general consensus and compare it with their personal viewpoints.
– Keyword Taboo
Instructions: Write down key terms from the article on cards, such as “artificial intelligence,” “algorithms,” “data,” “revolutionary advancements,” “catastrophic consequences,” etc. Students must describe the term to their partner without using the word itself or other obvious words listed on the card. This will encourage students to use synonyms and describe concepts in different ways.
– Synonym Challenge
Instructions: Select vocabulary from the article that may have more complex or less familiar synonyms (e.g., “quadrupled,” “profound,” “integration,” “contenders”). Ask students to come up with synonyms for each word, promoting a deeper understanding of vocabulary and its usage. They can then use these synonyms to rephrase sentences from the article.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Based on the article, students will discuss and write down their predictions about the role of AI in the future. They will consider various sectors such as healthcare, education, entertainment, and more. Encourage them to use modal verbs of speculation (e.g., might, could, will) and to support their predictions with reasons. Share and discuss these predictions as a class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What term has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary in 2023?
2. How much has the use of the term “artificial intelligence” increased in the past year according to the publisher?
3. Who is the managing director of Collins that commented on the significance of AI in 2023?
4. How does the managing director of Collins compare the integration of AI into everyday life?
5. What event coincided with the announcement of the word of the year?
6. For what purpose did the Beatles use AI technology?
7. What was the word of the year in 2022 and what does it reflect?
8. What are some of the other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 mentioned in the article?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
The term “artificial intelligence” has been named the word of the year by Collins (1)______ due to its increased usage in 2023. This reflects the (2)______ conversations about the potential impact of AI on society, whether it will (3)______ revolutionary advancements or catastrophic consequences. The (4)______ noted that the use of this term has quadrupled in the past year, making it a significant topic of discussion.
According to Collins managing director Alex Beecroft, AI has (5)______ a focal point of 2023, with its rapid (6)______ and integration into (7)______ life comparable to technologies like (8)______ and streaming. The profound impact of artificial intelligence on our rapidly evolving world, driven by the power of algorithms and data, has led to its selection as the word of the year.
The announcement coincides with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosting a summit to discuss how to maximize the (9)______ of AI while minimizing the (10)______. Additionally, the use of AI (11)______ by the Beatles to retrieve John Lennon’s vocals from an old cassette for their upcoming release (12)______ its diverse applications.
The word of the year typically reflects the prevailing concerns of the time. In 2022, it was “permacrisis,” while 2020 was dominated by the word “lockdown.” Other (13)______ for the word of the year in 2023 included “ultraprocessed,” “debanking,” and “greedflation,” reflecting the diverse range of (14)______ that have captured public attention.
Overall, the selection of “artificial intelligence” as the word of the year underscores the increasing (15)______ of AI in (16)______ discourse and its potential impact on various aspects of society.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What do you understand by the term “artificial intelligence”?
2. How would you feel if artificial intelligence started making important decisions in your workplace?
3. Do you like the idea of AI being integrated into everyday life, such as in home appliances or personal devices?
4. Do you think that the rapid development of AI is more beneficial or harmful to society? Why?
5. What are some potential catastrophic consequences you could imagine resulting from the misuse of AI?
6. Can you think of an instance where AI has significantly improved a task or experience in your life?
7. How do you believe AI might change your chosen career field in the next decade?
8. What ethical concerns do you have about the use of AI in data collection and analysis?
9. Do you think there should be international regulations on AI development and implementation? Why or why not?
10. How do you feel about the use of AI in creative processes, such as music or art?
11. Do you think AI can ever truly replicate human creativity? Why or why not?
12. How would you react if you found out a piece of art or music you love was created by an AI?
13. What does the term “permacrisis” from last year’s word of the year suggest to you about recent global events?
14. In what ways do you think AI could help address some of the issues reflected by the other contenders for word of the year, like “ultraprocessed,” “debanking,” and “greedflation”?
15. Do you believe that AI will ever reach a point where it can fully understand and replicate human emotions? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. artificial
2. intelligence
3. impact
4. technology
5. summit
6. diverse
7. selection
8. significance
Meanings:
(a) Showing a variety of different elements
(b) The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
(c) The ability to learn and understand
(d) The effect or influence of something
(e) The action of carefully choosing something
(f) A meeting of leaders to discuss important issues
(g) Not natural or genuine
(h) The importance or meaning of something
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. Why was “artificial intelligence” named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary?
(a) It has been around for a long time
(b) It has no impact on society
(c) It is not a significant topic of discussion
(d) Its usage quadrupled in the past year
2. According to Collins managing director Alex Beecroft, the impact of artificial intelligence on our rapidly evolving world is comparable to the impact of which other technologies?
(a) Fax machines and pagers
(b) Email and streaming
(c) Typewriters and landline phones
(d) VHS tapes and CDs
3. What is the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosting a summit to discuss?
(a) How to maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks
(b) How to ban AI technology
(c) How to ignore the impact of AI
(d) How to limit the use of AI technology by companies
4. How did the Beatles use AI technology?
(a) To create a new AI-powered instrument
(b) To design a virtual reality experience
(c) To develop a new AI-based music streaming service
(d) To retrieve John Lennon’s vocals from an old cassette for their upcoming release
5. What does the word of the year typically reflect?
(a) The least popular topics of the year
(b) The prevailing concerns of the time
(c) The most controversial issues of the year
(d) The most boring subjects of the year
6. What was the word of the year in 2022?
(a) “Artificial intelligence”
(b) “Lockdown”
(c) “Permacrisis”
(d) “Greedflation”
7. What do the other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 reflect?
(a) The diverse range of topics that have captured public attention
(b) The lack of interest in new words
(c) The focus on only one specific topic
(d) The absence of significant issues in 2023
8. What does the selection of “artificial intelligence” as the word of the year underscore?
(a) The decreasing significance of AI in contemporary discourse
(b) The irrelevance of AI in society
(c) The increasing significance of AI in contemporary discourse
(d) The lack of impact of AI on various aspects of society
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The Beatles used outdated technology to retrieve John Lennon’s vocals from an old cassette for their upcoming release.
2. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted a summit to discuss how to maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks.
3. The use of the term “artificial intelligence” has decreased in the past year, according to Collins Dictionary.
4. The selection of “natural intelligence” as the word of the year reflects the decreasing significance of AI in contemporary discourse.
5. Other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 included “ultraprocessed,” “debanking,” and “greedflation.”
6. 1. “Artificial intelligence” has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary for 2023.
7. The word of the year in 2022 was “permacrisis.”
8. Collins managing director Alex Beecroft compared the slow development and integration of AI to technologies like email and streaming.
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 has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary for 2023, and why?
2. How has the usage of the term “artificial intelligence” changed in the past year according to Collins Dictionary?
3. What comparison does Collins managing director Alex Beecroft make to describe the integration of AI into everyday life?
4. What event did UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak host in relation to artificial intelligence, and what was its purpose?
5. Can you list some of the other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 and explain what they indicate about public concerns?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What term has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary in 2023?
Artificial intelligence has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary in 2023.
2. How much has the use of the term “artificial intelligence” increased in the past year according to the publisher?
According to the publisher, the use of the term “artificial intelligence” has quadrupled in the past year.
3. Who is the managing director of Collins that commented on the significance of AI in 2023?
Alex Beecroft is the managing director of Collins who commented on the significance of AI in 2023.
4. How does the managing director of Collins compare the integration of AI into everyday life?
The managing director of Collins compares the integration of AI into everyday life to technologies like email and streaming.
5. What event coincided with the announcement of the word of the year?
The announcement of the word of the year coincided with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosting a summit to discuss how to maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks.
6. For what purpose did the Beatles use AI technology?
The Beatles used AI technology to retrieve John Lennon’s vocals from an old cassette for their upcoming release.
7. What was the word of the year in 2022 and what does it reflect?
The word of the year in 2022 was “permacrisis,” and it reflects the prevailing concerns of the time.
8. What are some of the other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 mentioned in the article?
Other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 mentioned in the article include “ultraprocessed,” “debanking,” and “greedflation.”
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) Dictionary
(2) growing
(3) bring
(4) publisher
(5) become
(6) development
(7) everyday
(8) email
(9) benefits
(10) risks
(11) technology
(12) demonstrates
(13) contenders
(14) topics
(15) significance
(16) contemporary
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. artificial
Answer: (g) Not natural or genuine
2. intelligence
Answer: (c) The ability to learn and understand
3. impact
Answer: (d) The effect or influence of something
4. technology
Answer: (b) The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
5. summit
Answer: (f) A meeting of leaders to discuss important issues
6. diverse
Answer: (a) Showing a variety of different elements
7. selection
Answer: (e) The action of carefully choosing something
8. significance
Answer: (h) The importance or meaning of something
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. Why was “artificial intelligence” named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary?
Answer: (d) Its usage quadrupled in the past year
2. According to Collins managing director Alex Beecroft, the impact of artificial intelligence on our rapidly evolving world is comparable to the impact of which other technologies?
Answer: (b) Email and streaming
3. What is the UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosting a summit to discuss?
Answer: (a) How to maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks
4. How did the Beatles use AI technology?
Answer: (d) To retrieve John Lennon’s vocals from an old cassette for their upcoming release
5. What does the word of the year typically reflect?
Answer: (b) The prevailing concerns of the time
6. What was the word of the year in 2022?
Answer: (c) “Permacrisis”
7. What do the other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 reflect?
Answer: (a) The diverse range of topics that have captured public attention
8. What does the selection of “artificial intelligence” as the word of the year underscore?
Answer: (c) The increasing significance of AI in contemporary discourse
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The Beatles used outdated technology to retrieve John Lennon’s vocals from an old cassette for their upcoming release. (Answer: False)
2. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hosted a summit to discuss how to maximize the benefits of AI while minimizing the risks. (Answer: True)
3. The use of the term “artificial intelligence” has decreased in the past year, according to Collins Dictionary. (Answer: False)
4. The selection of “natural intelligence” as the word of the year reflects the decreasing significance of AI in contemporary discourse. (Answer: False)
5. Other contenders for the word of the year in 2023 included “ultraprocessed,” “debanking,” and “greedflation.” (Answer: True)
6. 1. “Artificial intelligence” has been named the word of the year by Collins Dictionary for 2023. (Answer: True)
7. The word of the year in 2022 was “permacrisis.” (Answer: True)
8. Collins managing director Alex Beecroft compared the slow development and integration of AI to technologies like email and streaming. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
