Dean Meadowcroft used to write things for a company. He wrote news and posts for social media. But last year, his company started using a special computer program called Artificial Intelligence, or AI. They thought the AI would help the writers work faster. But Dean didn’t like the AI. He felt it made all the writing sound the same. And the company still needed people to check the AI’s work. But the AI was quick. It could do in 10 minutes what took a person an hour or more. After a few months, Dean and his team lost their jobs. He thinks the AI took their place.
Last year, a new AI called ChatGPT started. It can answer questions like a person. It can write essays and speeches very fast. Big companies like Microsoft and Google are trying to make their own AIs. These AIs learn from all the information on the internet. This makes people worry about their jobs. A report says AI could take many jobs, especially in office work and law. But it could also make new jobs. For example, a big furniture company trained its phone workers to be design advisers. But many workers are still worried. A survey found that one out of three workers is scared they might lose their job to AI. This fear is greater for workers who don’t use AI often.
Original news source: The workers already replaced by artificial intelligence (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– AI Story Retell
Instructions: Split the class into pairs. Have each pair read the article and retell the story to each other using their own words. This will help them practice comprehension and vocabulary skills.
– Role Play – Dean’s Day
Instructions: Have students form small groups and role-play a day in the life of Dean Meadowcroft before and after AI was introduced at his workplace. This activity will help students use the vocabulary and concepts from the text in a practical context.
– Sentence Construction
Instructions: Provide students with key words from the article such as “AI”, “job”, “company”, “worry”. Have them construct their own sentences using these words. This will help familiarize them with the vocabulary and practice sentence construction.
– Predict the Future
Instructions: Ask the students to individually write a short paragraph predicting what they think will happen to jobs and companies in the future based on what they understood from the article. This activity encourages students to use their critical thinking skills and apply the knowledge they’ve acquired from the text.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What did Dean Meadowcroft do for his company?
2. What is the special computer program the company started using?
3. How did the AI make Dean feel about the writing?
4. How fast could the AI work compared to a person?
5. What happened to Dean and his team after a few months?
6. What can the new AI called ChatGPT do?
7. What are some big companies trying to do with AI?
8. What did the big furniture company train its phone workers to do?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Dean Meadowcroft used to write things for a (1)______. He wrote news and posts for social media. But last year, his company started using a special computer program called Artificial Intelligence, or AI. They thought the AI would help the writers work (2)______. But Dean didn’t like the AI. He felt it made all the writing sound the same. And the company still needed people to check the AI’s work. But the AI was quick. It could do in 10 minutes what took a person an hour or more. After a few months, Dean and his team lost their (3)______. He thinks the AI took their place.
Last year, a new AI called ChatGPT started. It can answer questions like a person. It can write essays and speeches very (4)______. Big companies like Microsoft and Google are trying to make their own AIs. These AIs learn from all the information on the internet. This makes people worry about their jobs. A report says AI could take many jobs, especially in office work and (5)______. But it could also make new jobs. For example, a big furniture company trained its phone workers to be design advisers. But many workers are still worried. A survey found that one out of three workers is scared they might lose their job to AI. This fear is greater for workers who don’t use AI (6)______.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is Artificial Intelligence or AI?
2. How did AI help Dean’s company?
3. Why didn’t Dean like the AI?
4. What did the AI do faster than people?
5. What happened to Dean’s job?
6. What can the new AI, ChatGPT, do?
7. What big companies are trying to make their own AI?
8. Why are people worried about AI?
9. What jobs could AI take?
10. Could AI also make new jobs? Can you give an example?
11. Are all workers happy about AI? Why or why not?
12. How many workers are scared they might lose their job to AI?
13. Who is more scared of losing their job to AI?
14. Do you think AI is good or bad? Why?
15. Would you like to use AI in your work? Why or why not?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. Artificial Intelligence
2. Social Media
3. Program
4. Essays
5. Information
6. Internet
7. Office
8. Survey
Shuffled Meanings:
A) A place where people work, usually inside a building
B) A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do
C) A way to share thoughts, ideas, and pictures with other people online
D) A special kind of computer that can learn and do things like a human
E) A study where people are asked questions to find out what they think or feel
F) A piece of writing about a certain topic
G) Facts or details about something
H) A big network that connects computers all over the world
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What did Dean Meadowcroft do for his company?
(a) He made furniture
(b) He wrote news and social media posts
(c) He trained phone workers
(d) He designed AI programs
2. What is Artificial Intelligence, or AI?
(a) A type of furniture
(b) A special computer program
(c) A news company
(d) A type of job
3. Why did Dean’s company start using AI?
(a) To make the writing sound different
(b) To check the work of the writers
(c) To help the writers work faster
(d) To train phone workers
4. Why didn’t Dean like the AI?
(a) It was too slow
(b) It took his job
(c) It made all the writing sound the same
(d) It couldn’t answer questions
5. What can the new AI called ChatGPT do?
(a) It can train phone workers
(b) It can make furniture
(c) It can write essays and speeches very fast
(d) It can check the work of writers
6. What are big companies like Microsoft and Google trying to do?
(a) They are trying to train phone workers
(b) They are trying to make their own AIs
(c) They are trying to write news and social media posts
(d) They are trying to make furniture
7. What could AI do according to a report?
(a) It could make all writing sound the same
(b) It could take many jobs, especially in office work and law
(c) It could train phone workers
(d) It could write news and social media posts
8. What did a survey find about workers?
(a) One out of three workers is scared they might lose their job to AI
(b) All workers like AI
(c) All workers use AI often
(d) All workers are design advisers
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. Dean Meadowcroft liked using the AI for his work.
2. Dean Meadowcroft lost his job because of the AI.
3. The AI could do work faster than a person.
4. The AI made all the writing sound different.
5. Big companies like Microsoft and Google are not interested in AI.
6. AI can answer questions like a person.
7. A report says AI will not take many jobs.
8. One out of three workers is scared they might lose their job to AI.
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 is the name of the computer program that Dean’s company started using?
2. Why didn’t Dean like the AI program?
3. How long did it take the AI to do a task that would take a person an hour?
4. What is the name of the new AI that can answer questions and write essays?
5. Why are some workers worried about losing their jobs to AI?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What did Dean Meadowcroft do for his company?
Dean Meadowcroft used to write news and posts for social media for his company.
2. What is the special computer program the company started using?
The company started using a special computer program called Artificial Intelligence, or AI.
3. How did the AI make Dean feel about the writing?
The AI made Dean feel like all the writing sounded the same.
4. How fast could the AI work compared to a person?
The AI could do in 10 minutes what took a person an hour or more.
5. What happened to Dean and his team after a few months?
After a few months, Dean and his team lost their jobs.
6. What can the new AI called ChatGPT do?
The new AI called ChatGPT can answer questions like a person and write essays and speeches very fast.
7. What are some big companies trying to do with AI?
Big companies like Microsoft and Google are trying to make their own AIs.
8. What did the big furniture company train its phone workers to do?
The big furniture company trained its phone workers to be design advisers.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
1. company
2. faster
3. jobs
4. fast
5. law
6. often
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. Artificial Intelligence
Answer: D) A special kind of computer that can learn and do things like a human
2. Social Media
Answer: C) A way to share thoughts, ideas, and pictures with other people online
3. Program
Answer: B) A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do
4. Essays
Answer: F) A piece of writing about a certain topic
5. Information
Answer: G) Facts or details about something
6. Internet
Answer: H) A big network that connects computers all over the world
7. Office
Answer: A) A place where people work, usually inside a building
8. Survey
Answer: E) A study where people are asked questions to find out what they think or feel
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What did Dean Meadowcroft do for his company?
Answer: (b) He wrote news and social media posts
2. What is Artificial Intelligence, or AI?
Answer: (b) A special computer program
3. Why did Dean’s company start using AI?
Answer: (c) To help the writers work faster
4. Why didn’t Dean like the AI?
Answer: (c) It made all the writing sound the same
5. What can the new AI called ChatGPT do?
Answer: (c) It can write essays and speeches very fast
6. What are big companies like Microsoft and Google trying to do?
Answer: (b) They are trying to make their own AIs
7. What could AI do according to a report?
Answer: (b) It could take many jobs, especially in office work and law
8. What did a survey find about workers?
Answer: (a) One out of three workers is scared they might lose their job to AI
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. Dean Meadowcroft liked using the AI for his work.
Answer: False
2. Dean Meadowcroft lost his job because of the AI.
Answer: True
3. The AI could do work faster than a person.
Answer: True
4. The AI made all the writing sound different.
Answer: False
5. Big companies like Microsoft and Google are not interested in AI.
Answer: False
6. AI can answer questions like a person.
Answer: True
7. A report says AI will not take many jobs.
Answer: False
8. One out of three workers is scared they might lose their job to AI.
Answer: True
Go back to questions ⇧
