Listening

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Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a desire
    • ex. There is a strong desire among world leaders to stop the war.
  2. a powerhouse
    • ex. The company is a powerhouse in mobile communication technology.
  3. a frenzy
    • ex. The release of the latest mobile phone resulted in a frenzy.
  4. outsmart
    • ex. The woman outsmarted and escaped from the robbers that attacked her.
  5. intensify
    • ex. The band’s popularity intensified when its song became number 1.

Article

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he was encouraged by the desire of some world leaders to control any possible risks caused by the artificial intelligence technology his company and others are developing. Altman visited Tel Aviv, a tech powerhouse, as part of a world tour. The aim of Altman’s tour is to promote his company, the maker of ChatGPT — the popular AI chatbot — which has caused a frenzy around the globe.

The world tour comes after hundreds of scientists and tech industry leaders, including Microsoft and Google, issued a warning about the dangers that artificial intelligence poses to humankind. Worries about artificial intelligence systems outsmarting humans have intensified with the rise of a new generation of highly capable AI chatbots. Countries around the world are scrambling to come up with rules for the developing technology.

In a talk at Tel Aviv University, Altman said it would be a mistake to create heavy rules for AI development. But he suggested the formation of a global organization that could create rules to help approve model products and test and check their safety.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

AI Technology

  • What do you think are the benefits of AI technology? Discuss.
  • What do you think are the dangers of AI technology? Discuss.
  • Some world leaders have a desire to control any possible risks of AI technology. Do you want your country to participate in this effort? Why or why not? Discuss.

Powerhouse

  • In what industry is your country a powerhouse (ex. producing robots, producing cars and other types of transportation)? Discuss.
  • Aside from your own country, what is a powerhouse country that you admire? Why? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how can a country be a powerhouse in a certain industry? Discuss.