Microsoft’s AI leader, Mustafa Suleyman, says that soon we will have smart AI helpers with good memory. These helpers will remember things we talk about and help us with our tasks. They could become like friendly companions in our daily lives. Some people worry about privacy and mistakes, but others think these helpers need to be very connected to be useful.

Suleyman mentioned that people are getting used to devices that listen all the time, like phones and TVs. He thinks it’s important for people to feel they can control their technology and trust the companies that make it. Microsoft is working hard on AI, teaming up with OpenAI for projects like ChatGPT. Even though AI is growing fast, not everyone uses it every day, and it might not be as popular as smartphones.

Microsoft has added new features to its AI assistant, CoPilot, like voice commands and a news update. CoPilot Vision, a tool in the Edge browser, helps users online but doesn’t save data unless you want it to. Microsoft is trying to keep things private by adding security to tools like Recall, which helps find old content. Despite some problems, Microsoft is focused on making AI technology widely available.

Original news source: Microsoft: ‘ever present’ AI assistants are coming (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write some keywords from the article on the board (e.g., AI, memory, privacy, technology). Divide the students into teams. One student from each team comes to the board and without speaking, draws a representation of the word for their team to guess. The team that guesses the most words correctly wins.

– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Each pair has one minute to summarize the main points of the article to their partner. After one minute, partners switch roles. Encourage students to focus on key information like the importance of AI, concerns about privacy, and Microsoft’s developments.

– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions: Create a line in the classroom with one end labeled “Strongly Agree” and the other end labeled “Strongly Disagree.” Read out statements related to the article (e.g., “AI helpers will make our lives easier,” “Privacy concerns are a major drawback of AI technology”). Students physically place themselves along the line based on their level of agreement with each statement. Encourage students to discuss their reasons for their placement.

– Charades
Instructions: Write down actions or keywords related to the article on separate pieces of paper (e.g., listening device, memory helper, privacy concern). Students take turns choosing a paper and acting out or describing the word without speaking, while their classmates guess. This activity helps reinforce vocabulary from the article in a fun and engaging way.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to think individually about the following questions related to the article: “What are the potential benefits of having smart AI helpers with good memory?” “What concerns do you have about AI technology?” “How do you feel about the idea of AI becoming more integrated into our daily lives?” Then, have them pair up to discuss their thoughts before sharing with the whole class. This activity encourages critical thinking and speaking practice.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did Mustafa Suleyman say about the future of AI helpers?
2. Why do some people worry about smart AI helpers?
3. According to Suleyman, why is it important for people to trust the companies that make technology?
4. What are some new features that Microsoft added to its AI assistant, CoPilot?
5. How does CoPilot Vision in the Edge browser help users online?
6. What is one way Microsoft is trying to keep things private when using AI tools?
7. Despite some problems, what is Microsoft focused on when it comes to AI technology?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Microsoft’s AI leader, Mustafa Suleyman, says that soon we will have smart AI helpers with good memory. These helpers will remember things we talk about and help us with our tasks. They could become like (1)______ companions in our (2)______ lives. Some (3)______ worry about privacy and mistakes, but others think these helpers need to be very (4)______ to be useful.

Suleyman mentioned that people are getting used to devices that listen all the time, like (5)______ and TVs. He thinks it’s important for people to (6)______ they can control their technology and trust the companies that make it. Microsoft is working hard on AI, (7)______ up with OpenAI for projects like ChatGPT. Even though AI is growing fast, not everyone uses it every day, and it might not be as popular as smartphones.

(8)______ has added new features to its AI (9)______, CoPilot, like voice commands and a news update. CoPilot Vision, a tool in the Edge browser, helps (10)______ online but doesn’t save data unless you want it to. Microsoft is trying to keep (11)______ private by adding security to tools like Recall, which helps find old content. Despite some problems, Microsoft is focused on (12)______ AI technology widely available.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is a smart AI helper with good memory?
2. How would you feel if you had a friendly AI companion to help you with tasks?
3. Do you like the idea of AI helpers remembering things you talk about?
4. Why do you think some people worry about privacy with AI helpers?
5. Do you think it’s important for people to feel they can control their technology?
6. What do you think about AI growing fast but not everyone using it every day?
7. Why do you think Microsoft added voice commands to its AI assistant, CoPilot?
8. How do you feel about AI tools like CoPilot Vision helping users online?
9. Do you think it’s good that Microsoft is adding security to tools like Recall?
10. Why do you think Microsoft is focused on making AI technology widely available?
11. How would you use a smart AI helper in your daily life?
12. Do you think AI helpers will become more popular than smartphones in the future? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. companions
2. privacy
3. connected
4. devices
5. control
6. trust
7. features
8. commands
9. update
10. security
11. content
12. available

Meanings:
(A) Keeping personal information safe from others
(B) Joined or linked together
(C) The power to make decisions or manage something
(D) Believing someone or something is honest and good
(E) Instructions given to a machine or computer
(F) Making something more current or better
(G) Ready to be used or gotten by people
(H) Machines or tools like phones and TVs
(I) Friends or partners who are with you
(J) Information or material in a book, website, etc.
(K) Special parts or abilities of something
(L) Protection from danger or harm
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is the AI leader at Microsoft?
(a) Mark Zuckerberg
(b) Jeff Bezos
(c) Tim Cook
(d) Mustafa Suleyman

2. What will the smart AI helpers be able to do?
(a) Cook meals for us
(b) Drive cars for us
(c) Play music for us
(d) Remember things we talk about

3. What are some people worried about regarding smart AI helpers?
(a) Cooking skills
(b) Privacy and mistakes
(c) Fashion sense
(d) Sports knowledge

4. According to Suleyman, what is important for people to feel about their technology?
(a) They can ignore it
(b) They can break it
(c) They can control it
(d) They can hide it

5. Who has Microsoft teamed up with for projects like ChatGPT?
(a) Apple
(b) OpenAI
(c) Google
(d) Facebook

6. What is one new feature added to Microsoft’s AI assistant, CoPilot?
(a) Voice commands
(b) Cooking recipes
(c) Driving directions
(d) Music playlists

7. How does CoPilot Vision help users online?
(a) By saving all data automatically
(b) By sharing data with other companies
(c) By providing tools in the Edge browser
(d) By deleting all data

8. What is Microsoft focused on regarding AI technology?
(a) Making it widely available
(b) Keeping it a secret
(c) Selling it to only a few people
(d) Making it expensive

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Some people are concerned about privacy and mistakes with these AI helpers, while others think they need to be very connected to be useful.
2. These AI helpers could develop into like unfriendly companions in our daily lives, according to Suleyman.
3. Microsoft’s AI assistant, CoPilot, has new features like voice commands and a news update.
4. Microsoft’s AI leader, Mustafa Suleyman, believes that soon we will have smart AI helpers that can forget things we talk about and hinder us with tasks.
5. Microsoft is working with OpenAI on projects like ChatGPT to advance AI technology.
6. Suleyman mentioned that people are getting accustomed to devices that listen all the time, such as phones and laptops.
7. Microsoft is focusing on making AI technology widely available and is adding security features to tools like Recall to keep things private.
8. Not everyone utilizes AI every day, and it might be as popular as smartphones.
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 will the smart AI helpers that Microsoft is working on be able to do for us?
2. Why are some people worried about privacy and mistakes with these smart AI helpers?
3. How is Microsoft trying to make sure people feel in control of their technology?
4. What new features have been added to Microsoft’s AI assistant, CoPilot?
5. Why is Microsoft focused on making AI technology widely available?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did Mustafa Suleyman say about the future of AI helpers?
Mustafa Suleyman said that soon we will have smart AI helpers with good memory that can help us with our tasks and become like friendly companions in our daily lives.

2. Why do some people worry about smart AI helpers?
Some people worry about smart AI helpers because of privacy concerns and the possibility of mistakes.

3. According to Suleyman, why is it important for people to trust the companies that make technology?
It is important for people to trust the companies that make technology so they can feel in control of their devices and have confidence in the technology they use.

4. What are some new features that Microsoft added to its AI assistant, CoPilot?
Some new features added to Microsoft’s AI assistant, CoPilot, include voice commands and a news update.

5. How does CoPilot Vision in the Edge browser help users online?
CoPilot Vision in the Edge browser helps users online by providing assistance but only saves data if the user wants it to.

6. What is one way Microsoft is trying to keep things private when using AI tools?
Microsoft is trying to keep things private by adding security features to tools like Recall, which helps users find old content without compromising their privacy.

7. Despite some problems, what is Microsoft focused on when it comes to AI technology?
Despite some problems, Microsoft is focused on making AI technology widely available to people.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) friendly
(2) daily
(3) people
(4) connected
(5) phones
(6) feel
(7) teaming
(8) Microsoft
(9) assistant
(10) users
(11) things
(12) making
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. companions
Answer: (I) Friends or partners who are with you

2. privacy
Answer: (A) Keeping personal information safe from others

3. connected
Answer: (B) Joined or linked together

4. devices
Answer: (H) Machines or tools like phones and TVs

5. control
Answer: (C) The power to make decisions or manage something

6. trust
Answer: (D) Believing someone or something is honest and good

7. features
Answer: (K) Special parts or abilities of something

8. commands
Answer: (E) Instructions given to a machine or computer

9. update
Answer: (F) Making something more current or better

10. security
Answer: (L) Protection from danger or harm

11. content
Answer: (J) Information or material in a book, website, etc.

12. available
Answer: (G) Ready to be used or gotten by people
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is the AI leader at Microsoft?
Answer: (d) Mustafa Suleyman

2. What will the smart AI helpers be able to do?
Answer: (d) Remember things we talk about

3. What are some people worried about regarding smart AI helpers?
Answer: (b) Privacy and mistakes

4. According to Suleyman, what is important for people to feel about their technology?
Answer: (c) They can control it

5. Who has Microsoft teamed up with for projects like ChatGPT?
Answer: (b) OpenAI

6. What is one new feature added to Microsoft’s AI assistant, CoPilot?
Answer: (a) Voice commands

7. How does CoPilot Vision help users online?
Answer: (c) By providing tools in the Edge browser

8. What is Microsoft focused on regarding AI technology?
Answer: (a) Making it widely available
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Some people are concerned about privacy and mistakes with these AI helpers, while others think they need to be very connected to be useful. (Answer: True)
2. These AI helpers could develop into like unfriendly companions in our daily lives, according to Suleyman. (Answer: False)
3. Microsoft’s AI assistant, CoPilot, has new features like voice commands and a news update. (Answer: True)
4. Microsoft’s AI leader, Mustafa Suleyman, believes that soon we will have smart AI helpers that can forget things we talk about and hinder us with tasks. (Answer: False)
5. Microsoft is working with OpenAI on projects like ChatGPT to advance AI technology. (Answer: True)
6. Suleyman mentioned that people are getting accustomed to devices that listen all the time, such as phones and laptops. (Answer: False)
7. Microsoft is focusing on making AI technology widely available and is adding security features to tools like Recall to keep things private. (Answer: True)
8. Not everyone utilizes AI every day, and it might be as popular as smartphones. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧