Comedian Anesti Danelis recently used AI in his show “Artificially Intelligent” at the Edinburgh Festival to come up with jokes and ideas. Even though the AI didn’t always do a great job, Danelis found it helpful for getting new perspectives. He made it clear that human creativity is still super important in comedy, with only about 20% of his show being AI-generated.

People in the audience really liked how Danelis used AI in his comedy. Some folks are still not sure about AI being part of the creative process, but others think it can be cool if it’s done openly. A study from the University of Southern California shows that jokes made by AI can sometimes be better than ones made by people. But some, like actor Bethany Radford, think audiences can tell the difference between AI and human humor.

The comedy business has been growing a lot lately, with stand-up comedy in the US becoming three times more valuable in the last ten years. Live comedy in the UK brings in over £1 billion every year. Comedians like Viv Ford have been trying out AI to improve their jokes, seeing how useful it can be. But not all comedians, like James Roque, think AI fits with their style, saying it’s more important to be real and open in comedy.

As comedians figure out how to use AI in their work, people wonder what the future of comedy will look like. AI can give good ideas and help out, but some worry it might become a crutch for new comedians. Danelis warns against relying too much on AI, telling new comedians to find their own unique voices. The discussion goes on about whether AI will become a big part of comedy or if human creativity will always be the main thing in making people laugh.

Original news source: No laughing matter – how AI is helping comedians write jokes (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Ask students to summarize the article about comedian Anesti Danelis and AI in comedy in their own words. They should focus on the main points and key information while keeping it concise.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a statement related to AI in comedy (e.g., “AI will become a big part of comedy in the future”). Have each group discuss the statement and then take a vote on whether they agree or disagree. Afterward, each group can share their reasons for their decision.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., AI, creativity, comedian) on separate pieces of paper. Divide the class into teams and have one student from each team come up and pick a word. They must then draw the word on the board while their team tries to guess what it is. This will help reinforce the vocabulary from the article.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Ask students to think about the following question individually: “Do you think AI has a place in comedy?” Then, pair them up to discuss their thoughts with a partner. Finally, have a few pairs share their opinions with the whole class, encouraging them to explain their reasoning.

– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups and assign one group the task of listing the pros of using AI in comedy and the other group the cons. Give them some time to come up with their lists and then have each group present their points to the class. Encourage a discussion on which side they think has more convincing arguments.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What did comedian Anesti Danelis use AI for in his show “Artificially Intelligent” at the Edinburgh Festival?
2. How much of Danelis’ show was actually generated by AI?
3. How did the audience react to Danelis using AI in his comedy?
4. According to a study from the University of Southern California, when can jokes made by AI be better than ones made by people?
5. How much has the value of stand-up comedy in the US grown in the last ten years?
6. Why do some comedians, like James Roque, feel that AI doesn’t fit with their style of comedy?
7. What does comedian Viv Ford use AI for in her work?
8. What advice does Danelis give to new comedians regarding the use of AI in comedy?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Comedian Anesti (1)______ recently used AI in his show “Artificially Intelligent” at the Edinburgh (2)______ to come up with jokes and ideas. Even though the AI didn’t always do a great job, Danelis found it (3)______ for getting new (4)______. He made it clear that human creativity is still super important in comedy, with only about 20% of his show being AI-generated.

People in the audience really liked how Danelis used AI in his comedy. Some folks are still not sure about AI being part of the (5)______ process, but others (6)______ it can be cool if it’s done openly. A study from the University of Southern California shows that jokes made by AI can sometimes be better than ones made by people. But some, like (7)______ Bethany Radford, think audiences can tell the difference between AI and human humor.

The comedy business has been (8)______ a lot lately, with stand-up (9)______ in the US becoming three times more valuable in the last ten years. Live comedy in the UK brings in over £1 billion every year. Comedians like Viv Ford have been trying out AI to (10)______ their jokes, (11)______ how useful it can be. But not all comedians, like James (12)______, think AI fits with their style, saying it’s more important to be real and open in comedy.

As comedians figure out how to use AI in their work, people wonder what the (13)______ of comedy will look like. AI can give good ideas and help out, but some worry it might become a crutch for new comedians. Danelis warns against relying too much on AI, telling new comedians to find their own (14)______ voices. The (15)______ goes on about whether AI will become a big part of comedy or if human creativity will always be the main thing in (16)______ people laugh.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

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

1. What is AI and how do you think it can be used in comedy?
2. Do you think using AI in comedy takes away from the creativity of the comedian? Why or why not?
3. How would you feel if you went to a comedy show where some jokes were made by AI?
4. Do you like the idea of AI being involved in creative processes like comedy? Why or why not?
5. Do you think audiences can tell the difference between jokes made by AI and jokes made by humans? Why or why not?
6. Why do you think some comedians find AI helpful in improving their jokes?
7. How do you think AI could change the future of comedy?
8. What do you think about the idea of AI becoming a crutch for new comedians?
9. How important do you think it is for comedians to find their own unique voices, like Danelis suggests?
10. Do you think AI will become a big part of comedy in the future? Why or why not?
11. How do you think AI could help comedians come up with new ideas?
12. Why do you think some comedians, like James Roque, prefer to rely on their own creativity rather than using AI?
13. What role do you think human creativity plays in making people laugh?
14. How do you think AI could impact the comedy industry in the long run?
15. Do you think AI could ever completely replace human comedians? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. perspectives
2. creativity
3. audience
4. process
5. study
6. valuable
7. improve
8. style
9. unique
10. crutch
11. relying
12. voices
13. discussion
14. figure
15. future

Meanings:
(A) A series of actions taken to achieve something
(B) Different ways of looking at something
(C) Being one of a kind; not like anything else
(D) A conversation or debate about a topic
(E) Something you depend on too much
(F) Depending on someone or something
(G) Research or an investigation into a subject
(H) To understand or solve something
(I) The ability to make new and original ideas
(J) The sounds or opinions of people
(K) The group of people watching or listening to a performance
(L) A particular way of doing something
(M) Worth a lot, either in money or importance
(N) The time that is yet to come
(O) To make something better
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What did comedian Anesti Danelis use AI for in his show at the Edinburgh Festival?
(a) To perform on stage
(b) To sell tickets
(c) To design costumes
(d) To come up with jokes and ideas

2. How much of Danelis’ show was AI-generated?
(a) About 50%
(b) About 80%
(c) About 10%
(d) About 20%

3. How did the audience react to Danelis using AI in his comedy?
(a) They didn’t enjoy it
(b) They were confused
(c) They really liked it
(d) They left the show early

4. According to a study from the University of Southern California, when can jokes made by AI be better than ones made by people?
(a) Always
(b) Sometimes
(c) Never
(d) Rarely

5. How much has the stand-up comedy business in the US grown in the last ten years?
(a) Stayed the same
(b) Three times more valuable
(c) Decreased
(d) Doubled

6. How much money does live comedy in the UK bring in every year?
(a) Over £1 billion
(b) Over £500 million
(c) Over £2 billion
(d) Over £5 billion

7. What does comedian Viv Ford use AI for in her work?
(a) To design sets
(b) To sell merchandise
(c) To improve her jokes
(d) To choose her outfits

8. What does comedian James Roque believe is more important in comedy than using AI?
(a) Being real and open
(b) Using technology
(c) Having the best jokes
(d) Having the most followers

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The audience disliked how Danelis incorporated AI into his comedy routine.
2. Danelis mentioned that human creativity is insignificant in comedy, with only a small portion of his show being AI-generated.
3. Comedian Viv Ford has been experimenting with AI to enhance her jokes.
4. Comedian Anesti Danelis used AI in his comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival to come up with jokes and ideas.
5. There is minimal discussion about the future of comedy with the integration of AI, with concerns about it potentially becoming a crutch for new comedians.
6. Some people are unsure about AI being used in the creative process, while others find it interesting if done transparently.
7. Not all comedians, like James Roque, believe that AI aligns with their comedic style, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in comedy.
8. A study from the University of Southern California suggests that AI-generated jokes are always worse than those made by people.
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 did comedian Anesti Danelis use AI for in his show “Artificially Intelligent” at the Edinburgh Festival?
2. How much of Danelis’ show was generated by AI?
3. What do some people think about AI being part of the creative process in comedy?
4. How much has the stand-up comedy business grown in the US in the last ten years?
5. According to comedian James Roque, what is more important than using AI in comedy?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What did comedian Anesti Danelis use AI for in his show “Artificially Intelligent” at the Edinburgh Festival?
– Danelis used AI to come up with jokes and ideas for his comedy show.

2. How much of Danelis’ show was actually generated by AI?
– About 20% of Danelis’ show was AI-generated.

3. How did the audience react to Danelis using AI in his comedy?
– The audience really liked how Danelis used AI in his comedy.

4. According to a study from the University of Southern California, when can jokes made by AI be better than ones made by people?
– Jokes made by AI can sometimes be better than ones made by people, as shown by a study from the University of Southern California.

5. How much has the value of stand-up comedy in the US grown in the last ten years?
– Stand-up comedy in the US has become three times more valuable in the last ten years.

6. Why do some comedians, like James Roque, feel that AI doesn’t fit with their style of comedy?
– Some comedians, like James Roque, feel that AI doesn’t fit with their style of comedy because they believe it’s more important to be real and open in their comedy.

7. What does comedian Viv Ford use AI for in her work?
– Comedian Viv Ford uses AI to improve her jokes.

8. What advice does Danelis give to new comedians regarding the use of AI in comedy?
– Danelis advises new comedians not to rely too much on AI and to find their own unique voices in comedy.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) Danelis
(2) Festival
(3) helpful
(4) perspectives
(5) creative
(6) think
(7) actor
(8) growing
(9) comedy
(10) improve
(11) seeing
(12) Roque
(13) future
(14) unique
(15) discussion
(16) making
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. perspectives
Answer: (B) Different ways of looking at something

2. creativity
Answer: (I) The ability to make new and original ideas

3. audience
Answer: (K) The group of people watching or listening to a performance

4. process
Answer: (A) A series of actions taken to achieve something

5. study
Answer: (G) Research or an investigation into a subject

6. valuable
Answer: (M) Worth a lot, either in money or importance

7. improve
Answer: (O) To make something better

8. style
Answer: (L) A particular way of doing something

9. unique
Answer: (C) Being one of a kind; not like anything else

10. crutch
Answer: (E) Something you depend on too much

11. relying
Answer: (F) Depending on someone or something

12. voices
Answer: (J) The sounds or opinions of people

13. discussion
Answer: (D) A conversation or debate about a topic

14. figure
Answer: (H) To understand or solve something

15. future
Answer: (N) The time that is yet to come
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What did comedian Anesti Danelis use AI for in his show at the Edinburgh Festival?
Answer: (d) To come up with jokes and ideas

2. How much of Danelis’ show was AI-generated?
Answer: (d) About 20%

3. How did the audience react to Danelis using AI in his comedy?
Answer: (c) They really liked it

4. According to a study from the University of Southern California, when can jokes made by AI be better than ones made by people?
Answer: (b) Sometimes

5. How much has the stand-up comedy business in the US grown in the last ten years?
Answer: (b) Three times more valuable

6. How much money does live comedy in the UK bring in every year?
Answer: (a) Over £1 billion

7. What does comedian Viv Ford use AI for in her work?
Answer: (c) To improve her jokes

8. What does comedian James Roque believe is more important in comedy than using AI?
Answer: (a) Being real and open
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The audience disliked how Danelis incorporated AI into his comedy routine. (Answer: False)
2. Danelis mentioned that human creativity is insignificant in comedy, with only a small portion of his show being AI-generated. (Answer: False)
3. Comedian Viv Ford has been experimenting with AI to enhance her jokes. (Answer: True)
4. Comedian Anesti Danelis used AI in his comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival to come up with jokes and ideas. (Answer: True)
5. There is minimal discussion about the future of comedy with the integration of AI, with concerns about it potentially becoming a crutch for new comedians. (Answer: False)
6. Some people are unsure about AI being used in the creative process, while others find it interesting if done transparently. (Answer: True)
7. Not all comedians, like James Roque, believe that AI aligns with their comedic style, emphasizing the importance of authenticity in comedy. (Answer: True)
8. A study from the University of Southern California suggests that AI-generated jokes are always worse than those made by people. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧