Mobile phone companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage their networks. Big companies like O2, EE, Vodafone, and Three use AI to handle radio signals, save energy, and watch how well the network is working. For example, Korea Telecom uses AI to find and fix problems quickly, and AT&T in the US uses AI to predict issues before they happen. They are also working on new 5G networks, but some think they will need even better 6G networks by 2028.

Telecom companies are also using AI to help their customers. A group called the Global Telco AI Alliance wants to make an AI chatbot to answer customer questions. Vodafone is working with Microsoft to make their digital assistant, Tobi, better at helping customers. The idea is to make customer service faster and easier without needing as many human workers.

Some people worry that AI might take away jobs, but experts think it can help, especially in poorer countries. AI can make special tools available to more people and make networks run better and use less energy. Even though some are unsure, AI is making many parts of the telecom industry better.

Original news source: How mobile phone networks are embracing AI (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a copy of the article. Instruct them to read the article and then take turns summarizing the main points to each other. After they finish, have a class discussion where each pair shares their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think AI will help or hurt the telecom industry?” or “Would you prefer to interact with a chatbot or a human customer service representative? Why?” Divide the class into small groups and have them discuss and answer the questions. Afterward, each group can share their opinions with the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down a list of vocabulary words from the article, such as “artificial intelligence,” “networks,” “customer service,” etc. Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a set of vocabulary words. Instruct them to take turns drawing a picture to represent each word while their group members try to guess the word. The group with the most correct guesses wins.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Have the students individually think about and write down their ideas on the following question: “How do you think AI can benefit the telecom industry?” Then, pair them up and have them share their ideas with each other. Finally, open up the discussion to the whole class and have a class discussion where students can share their thoughts and opinions.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a piece of paper and ask them to write down three predictions about how AI will impact the telecom industry in the future. After they finish, have each group share their predictions with the class and discuss the likelihood of each prediction coming true.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How are mobile phone companies using artificial intelligence to help manage their networks?
2. Can you give an example of how AI is used by telecom companies to fix problems quickly?
3. What are some of the things that AI can help predict for mobile phone companies?
4. What is the Global Telco AI Alliance trying to do with AI?
5. Who is Vodafone working with to make their digital assistant, Tobi, better at helping customers?
6. Why do some people worry about AI taking away jobs?
7. How can AI help in poorer countries?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Mobile phone companies are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help manage their (1)______s. Big companies like O2, EE, Vodafone, and Three use AI to handle radio signals, (2)______ energy, and watch how well the network is working. For example, Korea Telecom uses AI to (3)______ and fix problems quickly, and AT&T in the US uses AI to predict (4)______ before they happen. They are also working on new 5G networks, but some think they will need even (5)______ 6G networks by 2028.

Telecom companies are also using AI to help their customers. A group called the Global (6)______ AI Alliance wants to make an AI chatbot to answer customer questions. Vodafone is working with Microsoft to make their digital assistant, Tobi, better at (7)______ customers. The idea is to make customer service faster and easier without (8)______ as many human (9)______.

Some people worry that AI might take away jobs, but experts think it can help, especially in poorer countries. AI can make special (10)______ available to more people and make networks run better and use less energy. Even though some are unsure, AI is making (11)______ parts of the (12)______ industry better.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is artificial intelligence (AI) and how is it being used by mobile phone companies?
2. How would you feel if your mobile phone network was always working perfectly because of AI?
3. Do you like the idea of using AI chatbots to answer customer questions? Why or why not?
4. What do you think are the advantages of using AI in the telecom industry?
5. How do you think AI can help people in poorer countries?
6. Do you think AI will replace human workers in the telecom industry? Why or why not?
7. What is a 5G network and why are companies working on even better 6G networks?
8. How do you think AI can save energy in the telecom industry?
9. How would you feel if you could get help from a digital assistant like Tobi instead of talking to a human customer service representative?
10. Do you think AI is making the telecom industry better? Why or why not?
11. What kind of problems do you think AI can help solve in the telecom industry?
12. Why do you think mobile phone companies are interested in using AI?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. artificial
2. manage
3. networks
4. predict
5. issues
6. digital
7. assistant
8. customer
9. service
10. experts
11. available
12. industry

Meanings:
(A) Systems that connect computers or phones
(B) A person who buys things or uses services
(C) Someone who helps you
(D) A group of businesses that make or sell similar things
(E) Using computers or technology
(F) To guess what will happen in the future
(G) To control or be in charge of something
(H) Help or work done for someone
(I) People who know a lot about a subject
(J) Problems or difficulties
(K) Ready to be used or gotten
(L) Made by humans, not natural
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Which companies are using artificial intelligence to manage their networks?
(a) O2, EE, Vodafone, and Three
(b) Apple, Samsung, Google, and Sony
(c) McDonald’s, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Nike
(d) Amazon, Walmart, Target, and eBay

2. What do mobile phone companies use AI for?
(a) Create new phone models and designs
(b) Develop video games and apps
(c) Advertise and promote their products
(d) Handle radio signals, save energy, and monitor network performance

3. How does Korea Telecom use AI?
(a) To predict future network issues
(b) To quickly find and fix network problems
(c) To develop new mobile phone technologies
(d) To improve customer service

4. What is the Global Telco AI Alliance trying to do?
(a) Develop new mobile phone networks
(b) Improve AI technology for telecom companies
(c) Create an AI chatbot to answer customer questions
(d) Provide free mobile phones to customers

5. Who is Vodafone working with to improve their digital assistant, Tobi?
(a) Apple
(b) Microsoft
(c) Google
(d) Samsung

6. How can AI help in poorer countries?
(a) By making special tools available to more people and improving network efficiency
(b) By providing free mobile phones to everyone
(c) By creating more job opportunities in the telecom industry
(d) By reducing the cost of mobile phone plans

7. What are some concerns about AI?
(a) That it might make networks run slower
(b) That it might increase energy consumption
(c) That it might make customer service more difficult
(d) That it might take away jobs

8. What is the future of mobile phone networks?
(a) The replacement of mobile phones with AI robots
(b) The integration of AI into every aspect of the telecom industry
(c) The development of 5G and possibly even better 6G networks
(d) The decline of mobile phone companies due to AI advancements

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Korea Telecom uses AI to quickly find and fix network problems.
2. AI can make networks run better and use less energy, benefiting the telecom industry.
3. Telecom companies are using AI to improve customer service.
4. The Global Telco AI Alliance wants to create an AI chatbot to answer customer questions.
5. AI does not assist companies like O2, EE, Vodafone, and Three in managing radio signals and saving energy.
6. AT&T in the US does not use AI to predict issues before they happen.
7. Mobile phone companies are not utilizing artificial intelligence to manage their networks.
8. Vodafone is not collaborating with Microsoft to enhance their digital assistant, Tobi.
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. How are mobile phone companies using artificial intelligence (AI)?
2. What are some things that AI can help mobile phone companies with?
3. How does Korea Telecom use AI?
4. What is the Global Telco AI Alliance trying to do?
5. Why do some people think AI can help poorer countries?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. Mobile phone companies are using artificial intelligence to handle radio signals, save energy, and monitor the performance of their networks.
2. AT&T in the US uses AI to predict issues before they happen, so they can fix them quickly.
3. AI can help predict things like network problems, customer demands, and future trends in the mobile phone industry.
4. The Global Telco AI Alliance wants to create an AI chatbot that can answer customer questions and provide better customer service.
5. Vodafone is working with Microsoft to improve their digital assistant, Tobi.
6. Some people worry that AI will take away jobs because they think machines will replace human workers.
7. AI can help in poorer countries by making special tools more accessible to people and by improving the efficiency of networks, which can save energy and reduce costs.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) network
(2) save
(3) find
(4) issues
(5) better
(6) Telco
(7) helping
(8) needing
(9) workers
(10) tools
(11) many
(12) telecom
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. artificial
Answer: (L) Made by humans, not natural

2. manage
Answer: (G) To control or be in charge of something

3. networks
Answer: (A) Systems that connect computers or phones

4. predict
Answer: (F) To guess what will happen in the future

5. issues
Answer: (J) Problems or difficulties

6. digital
Answer: (E) Using computers or technology

7. assistant
Answer: (C) Someone who helps you

8. customer
Answer: (B) A person who buys things or uses services

9. service
Answer: (H) Help or work done for someone

10. experts
Answer: (I) People who know a lot about a subject

11. available
Answer: (K) Ready to be used or gotten

12. industry
Answer: (D) A group of businesses that make or sell similar things
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Which companies are using artificial intelligence to manage their networks?
Answer: (a) O2, EE, Vodafone, and Three

2. What do mobile phone companies use AI for?
Answer: (d) Handle radio signals, save energy, and monitor network performance

3. How does Korea Telecom use AI?
Answer: (b) To quickly find and fix network problems

4. What is the Global Telco AI Alliance trying to do?
Answer: (c) Create an AI chatbot to answer customer questions

5. Who is Vodafone working with to improve their digital assistant, Tobi?
Answer: (b) Microsoft

6. How can AI help in poorer countries?
Answer: (a) By making special tools available to more people and improving network efficiency

7. What are some concerns about AI?
Answer: (d) That it might take away jobs

8. What is the future of mobile phone networks?
Answer: (c) The development of 5G and possibly even better 6G networks
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Korea Telecom uses AI to quickly find and fix network problems. (Answer: True)
2. AI can make networks run better and use less energy, benefiting the telecom industry. (Answer: True)
3. Telecom companies are using AI to improve customer service. (Answer: True)
4. The Global Telco AI Alliance wants to create an AI chatbot to answer customer questions. (Answer: True)
5. AI does not assist companies like O2, EE, Vodafone, and Three in managing radio signals and saving energy. (Answer: False)
6. AT&T in the US does not use AI to predict issues before they happen. (Answer: False)
7. Mobile phone companies are not utilizing artificial intelligence to manage their networks. (Answer: False)
8. Vodafone is not collaborating with Microsoft to enhance their digital assistant, Tobi. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧