day 22machines that think

machines that think

Weigh two views with 我比较同意……, narrow a point with 在……方面, grant the other side with 那倒也是，不过……, retell a short survey report with its numbers, and say whether AI will take jobs or make them.

words to say

• 人工智能 réngōngzhìnéng · artificial intelligence, AI
• 失业 shīyè · to be out of work
• 取代 qǔdài · to replace
• 智能 zhìnéng · smart, intelligent
• 创新 chuàngxīn · to innovate; innovation
• 代替 dàitì · to replace, stand in for
• 威胁 wēixié · to threaten; threat
• 突破 tūpò · to break through; breakthrough
• 机器人 jīqìrén · robot
• 程序 chéngxù · program; procedure

sentences

• 人工智能在翻译方面进步很快。 · AI has made rapid progress in translation.
• 有人担心，机器人会取代很多工人。 · Some people worry that robots will replace many workers.
• 那倒也是，不过新的工作也会出现。 · That’s true, I suppose, but new jobs will appear too.
• 智能手机已经成了生活的一部分。 · Smartphones have become part of everyday life.
• 每一次技术突破，都会推动更多的创新。 · Every technological breakthrough drives more innovation.

say it after the voice

• 在翻译和写作这两个方面，人工智能这几年取得的进步快得让人吃惊。 · In translation and writing, the progress AI has made in the last few years is astonishingly fast.
• 有人担心机器人会取代很多工人，不过历史上新的工作总会出现。 · Some worry robots will replace many workers, but in history new jobs have always appeared.
• 机器可以代替很多简单的工作，却很难代替人的判断和创新能力。 · Machines can take over a lot of simple work, but they find it hard to replace human judgement and creativity.
• 对很多年轻人来说，人工智能既是一种威胁，也可能是一个难得的机会。 · For many young people, AI is a threat, but it may also be a rare opportunity.

questions to answer

• 你怎么看用人工智能写作业？ · What do you think about using AI to do homework?
• 医院该不该让机器人帮医生看病？ · Should hospitals let robots help doctors treat patients?
• 你更相信人还是更相信机器？ · Do you trust people more, or machines?

a passage to retell

• A recent survey asked more than a thousand office workers how they use AI. It found that six in ten use it every week. What they use it for most is writing and translating. But fewer than one in five trust its answers without checking. Most said it saves time, but it can’t do their thinking for them.

a passage to read aloud

人工智能的发展越来越快，有人担心，总有一天机器会代替人。机器在很多方面的确比人强：它算得更快，记得更多，也从来不会累。可是，机器再聪明，也只是按照程序在回答问题。问什么问题，为什么要问，答案对谁有用，这些仍然要由人来决定。历史上，每一次技术突破，都曾经让一些人担心失业，最后却带来了新的工作。作为普通人，我们与其害怕被取代，不如学会提出好问题。毕竟，机器能给出成千上万个答案，而真正有价值的问题，往往只有一个。