Japan is having a hard time finding enough workers because its population is getting smaller. Some people think that artificial intelligence (AI) can help with this problem. For example, a company called Eat&Holdings has a fancy factory with cameras that use AI to find any dumplings that are not good. By using AI, the company needs fewer people to work on the production line. They have also made a robot called I-Robo to help with the worker shortage.

The worker shortage in Japan is going to get worse because the population is going down. It is expected that there will be 12% fewer workers in Japan from 2022 to 2040, which means there will be 11 million fewer workers. Japan also has a lot of old people, with 29% of the population being 65 years old or older. The government is worried about how the country will keep going.

AI is being used in different industries to help with the worker shortage. In farming, where the average age of a farmer is 68.4 years old, AI is used to find diseases, pests, and weeds early. Nihon Nohyaku made a smartphone app called Nichino AI that can tell farmers what is wrong with their crops and what to do about it. The app is not as good as a real expert, but it helps because there are not enough experts anymore.

In schools, AI is being used to help with the shortage of English teachers. Equmenopolis made an online tool that uses AI to let students practice speaking English with a computer character. The tool is being used in 50 schools in Japan and gives students feedback on their speaking. But it is not the same as having a real teacher.

The Japanese government is also trying out AI to help with the worker shortage. Yokosuka City uses an AI chatbot called ChatGPT to help with office work. The national government's Digital Agency is using AI to train its workers and see how AI can be used in the public and private sectors. But it is important to know that AI is not ready to replace people yet and is mostly used to make work faster.

Original news source: Can AI help solve Japan’s labour shortages? (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Ask each group to read the article and summarize the main points in a news summary format.
4. Set a time limit for the activity.
5. After the time limit, ask each group to share their news summary with the class.
– Word Association
Instructions:
1. Write the word "AI" on the board.
2. Ask students to brainstorm and write down as many words as they can think of that are related to AI.
3. After a few minutes, ask students to share their words with the class.
4. Encourage discussion and explanation of the words chosen.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into two groups.
2. Assign one group to discuss the pros of using AI to solve the worker shortage problem in Japan, and the other group to discuss the cons.
3. Give each group time to brainstorm and come up with their arguments.
4. Ask each group to present their arguments to the class.
5. Encourage a class discussion and debate on the topic.
– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Ask students to imagine what the future will be like in Japan with the increasing worker shortage and the use of AI.
2. In pairs or small groups, have students discuss and make predictions about how AI will impact different industries and aspects of life in Japan.
3. After the discussion, ask each group to share their predictions with the class.
4. Encourage students to support their predictions with reasons and evidence from the article.
– Opinion Spectrum
Instructions:
1. Draw a line on the board and label one end as "Strongly Agree" and the other end as "Strongly Disagree."
2. Read out statements related to the use of AI to solve the worker shortage problem in Japan, e.g. "Using AI in factories is the best solution for the worker shortage problem."
3. Ask students to position themselves along the line based on their opinion of each statement.
4. After each statement, encourage students to explain their position and engage in a class discussion.

Japan is having a hard time finding enough ? because its population is getting smaller. Some people think that artificial intelligence (AI) can help with this problem. For example, a company ? Eat&Holdings has a fancy factory with cameras that use AI to find any dumplings that are not good. By using AI, the company needs fewer people to work on the production line. They have also made a robot called I-Robo to help with the worker ?. The worker shortage in Japan is ? to get worse because the population is going down. It is expected that there will be 12% fewer workers in Japan from 2022 to 2040, which means there will be 11 million fewer workers. Japan also has a lot of old ?, with 29% of the population being 65 years old or older. The ? is worried about how the ? will keep going. AI is being used in different ? to help with the worker shortage. In farming, where the average age of a farmer is 68.4 years old, AI is used to find diseases, ?, and weeds early. ? Nohyaku made a smartphone app called Nichino AI that can tell farmers what is wrong with their ? and what to do about it. The app is not as good as a real expert, but it helps because there are not enough experts anymore. In schools, AI is being used to help with the shortage of English teachers. Equmenopolis made an online tool that uses AI to let students ? speaking English with a computer character. The tool is being used in 50 schools in Japan and gives students feedback on their speaking. But it is not the same as having a real teacher. The Japanese government is also trying out AI to help with the ? shortage. Yokosuka City uses an AI chatbot called ? to help with office work. The ? government's Digital ? is using AI to train its workers and see how AI can be used in the public and private sectors. But it is important to know that AI is not ready to replace people yet and is mostly used to make work faster.

1. What is artificial intelligence (AI) and how do you think it can help with the worker shortage in Japan?
2. How would you feel if your job was replaced by a robot or AI? Why?
3. Do you think AI can completely replace human workers in the future? Why or why not?
4. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of using AI in different industries?
5. How do you think the worker shortage in Japan will affect the country's economy and society?
6. Do you like the idea of using AI to help with office work? Why or why not?
7. How do you think AI can be used to improve education in schools? Give examples.
8. What are some potential challenges or concerns with using AI in different industries?
9. How do you think the use of AI will impact the job market in the future?
10. Do you think AI can provide the same level of expertise as a human in fields like farming or teaching? Why or why not?
11. What are some other ways that Japan can address the worker shortage issue, besides relying on AI?
12. How do you think the use of AI will change the way we work and live in the future?
13. Have you ever used any AI tools or applications? If so, what was your experience like?
14. Do you think AI can help improve the overall efficiency and productivity of a workplace? Why or why not?
15. How do you think the use of AI will impact society as a whole?

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