A person who used to work at Tesla is worried about the safety of their self-driving technology. They leaked information to a newspaper in Germany about complaints from customers about Tesla's braking and self-driving software. They think that the technology hasn't been tested enough and shouldn't be used on public roads. Even though the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, says the self-driving technology is great, this person thinks it's dangerous for everyone on the road. They found evidence that Tesla hasn't followed the rules for making sure self-driving cars are safe.
This person also found data that suggests Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason, even when there's nothing in the way. Tesla says that their self-driving feature has caused fewer crashes than cars without it, but we can't check if that's true. The US Department of Justice has been looking into Tesla's self-driving features since January, and other agencies have been asking questions too.
The person who used to work at Tesla decided to tell the authorities about the information they found. They've been called a whistleblower and people think they did the right thing. But it's been really scary for them and they're having trouble sleeping. A professor in London thinks that what this person said raises bigger concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars. The UK government is making a law to control self-driving cars.
Original news source: Ex-Tesla employee casts doubt on car safety (BBC)
π§ Listen:
π Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs, students will read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on the concerns raised about Tesla's self-driving technology and the actions taken by the whistleblower. Afterward, each pair will present their summary to the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will discuss the following question: "Do you think Tesla's self-driving technology is safe for public roads? Why or why not?" After the discussion, each group will conduct a mini opinion poll within the class, asking other students for their opinions. The group will then present the results of the poll and discuss any interesting findings.
– Sketch It
Instructions: In pairs, students will choose a specific scene or moment from the article and sketch it on a piece of paper. They should include relevant details and elements from the text. Afterward, each pair will present their sketch to the class, explaining what scene or moment it represents and why they chose it.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article on separate pieces of paper or index cards. Each student will take turns choosing a word and drawing it on the board while their classmates try to guess what the word is. The student who guesses correctly gets to choose the next word to draw.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: In small groups, students will discuss the pros and cons of using self-driving technology on public roads, based on the information from the article. They should consider both the potential benefits and the potential risks. After the discussion, each group will present their findings to the class, highlighting the main points of their debate.
π€ Comprehension Questions:
The former Tesla employee is concerned about the safety of their self-driving technology because they believe it hasn't been tested enough and poses a danger to everyone on the road.
The former employee leaked information about complaints from customers regarding Tesla's braking and self-driving software to a newspaper in Germany.
The former employee feels that Tesla's self-driving technology is dangerous for everyone on the road and has not been adequately tested.
The former employee found evidence that Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason, even when there is nothing in the way.
Tesla claims that their self-driving feature has caused fewer crashes than cars without it.
The US Department of Justice has been investigating Tesla's self-driving features since January.
The former employee decided to tell the authorities about the information they found, making them a whistleblower.
A professor in London has concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars, as raised by the former employee's information. This raises bigger concerns about the safety and use of artificial intelligence in self-driving cars.
π§βοΈ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
A person who used to work at Tesla is worried about the safety of their self-driving . They leaked to a newspaper in Germany about complaints from customers about Tesla's braking and self-driving . They think that the technology hasn't been enough and shouldn't be used on public roads. Even though the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, says the self-driving technology is great, this it's dangerous for everyone on the road. They that Tesla hasn't followed the rules for making sure self-driving cars are safe. This person also found data that suggests Tesla cars sometimes brake for no reason, even when there's nothing in the way. Tesla says that their self-driving feature has fewer crashes than cars without it, but we can't check if that's true. The US Department of Justice has been looking into Tesla's self-driving since , and other agencies have been asking questions too. The person who used to work at Tesla decided to tell the about the information they found. They've been a whistleblower and people think they did the right thing. But it's been really scary for them and they're having trouble sleeping. A professor in London thinks that what this person said raises bigger concerns about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars. The UK is a law to self-driving cars.
π¬ Discussion Questions:
1. What is a whistleblower and why do you think people think this person did the right thing?
2. How do you think this person feels about the safety of Tesla's self-driving technology?
3. Do you think self-driving technology should be used on public roads? Why or why not?
4. How would you feel if you were driving a Tesla and it suddenly braked for no reason?
5. Do you trust self-driving technology? Why or why not?
6. How do you think Elon Musk feels about the claims made by this person?
7. What do you think the US Department of Justice is looking for in their investigation of Tesla's self-driving features?
8. Do you think Tesla's self-driving feature has caused fewer crashes than cars without it? Why or why not?
9. How do you think the person who used to work at Tesla feels now that they've told the authorities about the information they found?
10. How do you think the UK government's law to control self-driving cars will affect the industry?
11. What concerns do you think the professor in London has about using artificial intelligence in self-driving cars?
12. How do you feel about the use of artificial intelligence in self-driving cars? Why?
13. Do you think companies should be required to follow specific rules to ensure the safety of self-driving cars? Why or why not?
14. How do you think the leaked information will impact Tesla's reputation?
15. What do you think should be done to address the concerns raised about Tesla's self-driving technology?
Individual Activities
ππ Vocabulary Meanings:
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Words
Meanings
π‘ Multiple Choice Questions:
π΅οΈ True or False Questions:
π Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
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