Are robots taking over? - Unit 2

C2 Proficiency · Multiple Matching · Close-up C2 Workbook, National Geographic Learning

You are going to read four people's opinions about artificial intelligence. For questions 1–10, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

A Elliot

It never ceases to amaze me how we hurl ourselves towards a human-free society at lightning speed. Despite endless articles, and even award-winning films about how we're losing touch with ourselves and our humanity, our obsession with robots and artificial muscle. I might not be able to speak for all, but I believe I think I've quite a good grasp on the human psyche and, for whatever means, we are not terribly fond of robots. I recently read a survey about people's feelings on artificial intelligence and I believe it perfectly encapsulates the current mood. Around 16 per cent of people are happy to allow robots to do ordinary, boring jobs as they see maintenance. But when those activities encroach upon our private space, for instance having a robot cook, only around half of respondents were in agreement with it. Give a robot a scalpel and have it perform surgery, and only a quarter of people would hop on the table. I'm not suggesting that it is not sure per cent – whoever is part of that 25 per cent must be completely mad, as far as I'm concerned.

B Elliot

Is our reputation about artificial intelligence every bit as manufactured as the technology itself? Our cinematic experiences may very well be culpable for embedding most of this fear of the unknown onto our minds. However, if you toss that aside and see our current anxieties about real life: At any rate, you still may find yourself treading resembling slightly flawed observations of driverless public transport popping up in major European cities deep like in a way to manage our energy. Because let's face it, you can't help but imagine what would happen if during a head-on collision or cruise a brake failure as a speeding computer-run train which cannot be stopped by human intervention. Histrionically, just like our food labels should tell us if what we're eating is genetically modified, so should a bus or train have signage saying it is operated only by machine. Then we can decide if we want to step foot inside or wait for a conventional public transport vehicle to pull up.

C Ronald

I would postulate that we have a bitter-sweet love affair with automation. On one hand we want robots to wash our dishes, clean up our mess, vacuum and polish our flooring, do our laundry, and even child-mind and hang up our bons vacance clothing. I would give an affirmative response to that. And who wouldn't, really? But do we want them bossing around our homes, rearranging through our drawers, scanning our phone calls, communicating for us on social media – and I shudder to think – doing a better job at being a human being that we are? One might wonder if there's a fine line between what we want to do ourselves and what we want them to do for us, but I have no doubt about what I think the boundaries should be. Automation is perfectly fine from a distance, but up close it is, well, a little too personal.

D Laura

I've been fascinated with robots and artificial intelligence for decades now. I remember watching Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey when I was a child, terrified at how the chess-serviced robot, HAL 9000, usurped control of the vessel from the film's protagonists. Sir David Brewster. Society at large has a latent fear that robots will do that in real life, but I would advise them to remember that as the important masterpiece of Kubrick's, however premiered in the end. Of course, our fear of out-of-control, dangerous, disobedient humans make ripe fodder for the science-fiction genre, but let's not lose our heads. I'm confident that mankind will only ever derive an artificially intelligent device just powerful enough to serve us, but never powerful enough to supplant us.

Are robots taking over?

We should be clear on what robots are and aren't allowed to do.

An analysis of fiction concerning tales of man against machine would ease our fears of robots.

The more intimate the chore, the more unnerved we become about robots doing it.

Our fears of robots may have been overblown by fictional stories.

Simple awareness is important in order for people to make informed choices.

Mankind is too aware of the threat machines pose to allow them to be problematic.

It's impossible to avoid thinking of the worst-case scenario regarding robot-controlled tasks.

It's a common desire to want menial tasks done via automation.

That anyone would leave their well-being in the hands of robots is particularly appalling.

Our fears of machines are always there, if not always easily visible.

Which person gives each of these opinions about artificial intelligence?

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

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