Meta, the company that owns Facebook, has created a new group of chatbots for its Messenger service. These chatbots will have their own “personalities” and will focus on certain topics. The main chatbot, called “Meta AI,” can be used in messages and can answer questions or solve disagreements. Famous people like Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner will also have chatbots that act like them.

During a recent event, Meta’s boss, Mark Zuckerberg, talked about how the company is doing with AI and the metaverse. He showed off a new virtual reality headset, the Quest 3, which has cameras that let you see augmented reality. But even though Meta is putting a lot of money into the metaverse, the part of the company that works on virtual reality has lost $21 billion since 2022 started.

At the same time, another company called OpenAI said that its chatbot can now look up new information on the internet. Before, the chatbot could only use information that was available up until September 2021.

Original news source: Meta announces AI chatbots with ‘personality’ (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs or small groups. Give each group a copy of the article. Ask them to read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. After they have finished, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: “Do you think chatbots are helpful or annoying?” Give each student a slip of paper and ask them to write “helpful” or “annoying” on it. Collect the slips of paper and tally up the results. Then, have a class discussion where students can share their opinions and explain their reasoning.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write a list of vocabulary words from the article on the board. Divide the students into teams and give each team a whiteboard or piece of paper. One student from each team will come to the front of the class and choose a word from the list. They must then draw a picture to represent that word while their team tries to guess what it is. The first team to guess correctly gets a point.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask the students to think about the following question: “What are some potential benefits and drawbacks of using chatbots?” After giving them a few minutes to think, ask them to pair up with a partner and discuss their ideas. Finally, have a class discussion where students share their thoughts with the rest of the class.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Give each student a slip of paper and ask them to write down two true statements and one false statement about chatbots. Collect the slips of paper and read them out loud to the class. The class must then guess which statement is the lie. After revealing the correct answer, encourage students to ask questions and discuss the true statements in more detail.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is Meta’s new group of chatbots for?
2. What is the main chatbot called?
3. What can Meta AI do in messages?
4. Who are some famous people that will have chatbots?
5. What did Mark Zuckerberg show off at the recent event?
6. What kind of reality can you see with the Quest 3 headset?
7. What new ability does OpenAI’s chatbot have?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Meta, the company that owns Facebook, has created a new group of (1)______ for its Messenger service. These chatbots will have their own “personalities” and will focus on certain topics. The main chatbot, (2)______ “Meta AI,” can be (3)______ in messages and can answer questions or (4)______ disagreements. Famous people like (5)______ Dogg and Kendall (6)______ will also have chatbots that act like them.

During a recent event, Meta’s boss, Mark Zuckerberg, talked about how the company is doing with AI and the metaverse. He (7)______ off a new (8)______ reality headset, the Quest 3, which has cameras that let you see augmented reality. But even though Meta is putting a lot of money into the metaverse, the part of the company that (9)______ on virtual reality has lost $21 billion since 2022 started.

At the same time, another (10)______ called (11)______ said that its chatbot can now look up new information on the internet. Before, the chatbot could only use information that was available up until (12)______ 2021.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a chatbot?
2. How would you feel if you could have a chatbot that could answer all your questions? Why or why not?
3. Do you think it’s a good idea for famous people to have chatbots that act like them? Why or why not?
4. What is the metaverse?
5. How would you feel if you could use virtual reality headsets like the Quest 3? Why or why not?
6. Do you think it’s worth it for Meta to invest a lot of money into the metaverse? Why or why not?
7. What is augmented reality?
8. How would you feel if you could use a chatbot that could look up new information on the internet? Why or why not?
9. Do you think it’s important for chatbots to have “personalities”? Why or why not?
10. What do you think about Meta’s virtual reality division losing $21 billion? Why do you think that happened?
11. How do you think chatbots can be helpful in our daily lives?
12. Do you think AI technology will continue to improve in the future? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. chatbots
2. personalities
3. topics
4. virtual reality
5. augmented reality
6. cameras
7. information
8. internet

Meanings:
(a) Computer programs that can talk to people
(b) A global network that connects computers and websites
(c) Subjects or things to talk about
(d) Devices that take pictures or videos
(e) A computer-generated world that looks real
(f) A computer-generated world that adds things to the real world
(g) The way someone acts and behaves
(h) Facts or knowledge about something
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What company owns Facebook?
(a) OpenAI
(b) Snoop Dogg
(c) Kendall Jenner
(d) Meta

2. What is the main chatbot called?
(a) Meta AI
(b) OpenAI
(c) Snoop Dogg
(d) Kendall Jenner

3. What can the main chatbot do?
(a) Sing songs and dance
(b) Cook meals and clean the house
(c) Play video games and watch movies
(d) Answer questions and solve disagreements

4. Who showed off the new virtual reality headset, the Quest 3?
(a) Mark Zuckerberg
(b) Snoop Dogg
(c) Kendall Jenner
(d) OpenAI

5. What feature does the Quest 3 have?
(a) A built-in phone
(b) Cameras that let you see augmented reality
(c) A voice-controlled assistant
(d) A holographic display

6. How much money has the virtual reality part of Meta lost since 2022 started?
(a) $1 million
(b) $21 billion
(c) $100,000
(d) $10 billion

7. What can OpenAI’s chatbot do now that it couldn’t do before?
(a) Cook meals and clean the house
(b) Sing songs and dance
(c) Look up new information on the internet
(d) Play video games and watch movies

8. Until when could OpenAI’s chatbot only use information?
(a) September 2022
(b) October 2021
(c) September 2021
(d) October 2022

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. OpenAI, another company, announced that its chatbot cannot search for new information on the internet.
2. Mark Zuckerberg showcased a new virtual reality headset called the Quest 3, which has augmented reality capabilities.
3. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has created a new group of chatbots for its Messenger service.
4. The virtual reality division of Meta has lost $21 billion since the beginning of 2022.
5. Meta’s boss, Mark Zuckerberg, recently talked about the company’s progress with AI and the metaverse.
6. The main chatbot, called “Meta AI,” cannot answer questions and help resolve disagreements.
7. These chatbots do not have their own personalities and do not focus on specific topics.
8. Famous people like Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner will not have chatbots that act like them.
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 a chatbot?
2. What is the main chatbot called in Meta’s Messenger service?
3. What did Mark Zuckerberg show off during a recent event?
4. How much money has Meta’s virtual reality part of the company lost since 2022 started?
5. What new ability does OpenAI’s chatbot have?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Meta’s new group of chatbots is for its Messenger service.
2. The main chatbot is called “Meta AI.”
3. Meta AI can answer questions and solve disagreements in messages.
4. Some famous people that will have chatbots are Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner.
5. Mark Zuckerberg showed off the Quest 3 virtual reality headset at the recent event.
6. With the Quest 3 headset, you can see augmented reality.
7. OpenAI’s chatbot can now look up new information on the internet.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) chatbots
(2) called
(3) used
(4) solve
(5) Snoop
(6) Jenner
(7) showed
(8) virtual
(9) works
(10) company
(11) OpenAI
(12) September
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. chatbots
Answer: (a) Computer programs that can talk to people

2. personalities
Answer: (g) The way someone acts and behaves

3. topics
Answer: (c) Subjects or things to talk about

4. virtual reality
Answer: (e) A computer-generated world that looks real

5. augmented reality
Answer: (f) A computer-generated world that adds things to the real world

6. cameras
Answer: (d) Devices that take pictures or videos

7. information
Answer: (h) Facts or knowledge about something

8. internet
Answer: (b) A global network that connects computers and websites
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What company owns Facebook?
Answer: (d) Meta

2. What is the main chatbot called?
Answer: (a) Meta AI

3. What can the main chatbot do?
Answer: (d) Answer questions and solve disagreements

4. Who showed off the new virtual reality headset, the Quest 3?
Answer: (a) Mark Zuckerberg

5. What feature does the Quest 3 have?
Answer: (b) Cameras that let you see augmented reality

6. How much money has the virtual reality part of Meta lost since 2022 started?
Answer: (b) $21 billion

7. What can OpenAI’s chatbot do now that it couldn’t do before?
Answer: (c) Look up new information on the internet

8. Until when could OpenAI’s chatbot only use information?
Answer: (c) September 2021
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. OpenAI, another company, announced that its chatbot cannot search for new information on the internet. (Answer: False)
2. Mark Zuckerberg showcased a new virtual reality headset called the Quest 3, which has augmented reality capabilities. (Answer: True)
3. Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has created a new group of chatbots for its Messenger service. (Answer: True)
4. The virtual reality division of Meta has lost $21 billion since the beginning of 2022. (Answer: True)
5. Meta’s boss, Mark Zuckerberg, recently talked about the company’s progress with AI and the metaverse. (Answer: True)
6. The main chatbot, called “Meta AI,” cannot answer questions and help resolve disagreements. (Answer: False)
7. These chatbots do not have their own personalities and do not focus on specific topics. (Answer: False)
8. Famous people like Snoop Dogg and Kendall Jenner will not have chatbots that act like them. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧