The Reading / Listening - A.I. Books - Level 1

Poet Peter Mackay wants warnings to be put on books written by artificial intelligence (AI). He is worried about the damage AI is doing to the book industry. He wants food label-style warnings on AI books. He said he is worried about AI in the creation of new literature and books. He said it "could be disastrous for new people…in the profession". He said it is now hard to make a living as a writer because AI uses "all the knowledge of every book written".

Mr Mackay wants a mark that shows whether AI or a person wrote a book. He thinks the public needs to know about the level of AI input in a book. He said information could show if a book is "100 per cent AI-free". His idea comes just before the USA refused to sign an agreement on AI to keep it "clean". The US said too much regulation of AI could "kill a transformative industry just as it's taking off". It said "pro-growth AI policies" were important.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    A.I. Books - Level 0 A.I. Books - Level 2   or  A.I. Books - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/food-packaging-style-health-warnings-should-be-put-on-books-written-by-ai-says-scotlands-makar-4982464
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly4p3wz3l3o
  • https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/62900/dr-mackay-appointed-scotlands-new-makar


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. warnings to be
  2. written by
  3. the damage AI is doing
  4. food label-style
  5. the creation of new
  6. He said it could be
  7. new people in
  8. AI uses all the knowledge
  1. literature
  2. to the book industry
  3. of every book
  4. the profession
  5. put on books
  6. warnings
  7. disastrous
  8. artificial intelligence

Paragraph 2

  1. whether AI or a person
  2. He thinks the public needs
  3. the level of AI input
  4. a book is 100 per cent
  5. the USA refused to sign
  6. keep it
  7. too much regulation
  8. just as it's taking
  1. in a book
  2. clean
  3. AI-free
  4. off
  5. wrote a book
  6. of AI
  7. to know
  8. an agreement

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Poet Peter Mackay wants warnings to (1) ________________________________________________ books written by artificial intelligence (AI). He is worried (2) ________________________________________________ AI is doing to the book industry. He wants (3) ________________________________________________ warnings on AI books. He said he is worried about AI in the (4) ________________________________________________ literature and books. He said it "could (5) ________________________________________________ new people…in the profession". He said it is now hard to make a living as a writer because AI uses "all the knowledge (6) ________________________________________________ written".

Mr Mackay wants a (7) ________________________________________________ whether AI or a person wrote a book. He thinks (8) ________________________________________________ to know about the level of AI input in a book. He said information could show (9) ________________________________________________ is "100 per cent AI-free". His idea comes just before the USA (10) ________________________________________________ an agreement on AI to keep it "clean". The US said (11) ________________________________________________ of AI could "kill a transformative industry just as (12) ________________________________________________ ". It said "pro-growth AI policies" were important.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PoetPeterMackaywantswarningstobeputonbookswrittenbyartificiali
ntelligence(AI).HeisworriedaboutthedamageAIisdoingtothebookin
dustry.Hewantsfoodlabel-stylewarningsonAIbooks.Hesaidheisw
orriedaboutAIinthecreationofnewliteratureandbooks.Hesaidit"coul
dbedisastrousfornewpeople…intheprofession".Hesaiditisnowhardto
makealivingasawriterbecauseAIuses"alltheknowledgeofeverybook
written".MrMackaywantsamarkthatshowswhetherAIorapersonwrot
eabook.HethinksthepublicneedstoknowaboutthelevelofAIinputinab
ook.Hesaidinformationcouldshowifabookis"100percentAI-free".Hisi
deacomesjustbeforetheUSArefusedtosignanagreementonAItokeepi
t"clean".TheUSsaidtoomuchregulationofAIcould"killatransformativ
eindustryjustasit'stakingoff".Itsaid"pro-growthAIpolicies"wereim
portant.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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