Today, we are going to talk about artificial intelligence. It is supposedly the future.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is intelligence displayed by machines created by man. One could say that artificial intelligence is a way of making a computer-controlled robot, a computer, or software, think intelligently, in a similar manner to how humans think.
Certainly, AI is leading to workers’ jobs being replaced by robots. However, in order to do all this, it will need even more IT programmers.
Today, we are going to look at some of the inventions that have changed our lives.
Automatic washing machines (1962) changed how people did their washing. Many people used to use twin tub washing machines, before moving onto a front loader washing machine. Many people in the USA and Canada use top loaders.
In 1963, the fridge freezer was introduced. It helped revolutionise how we stored food, without having to can, pickle or dry it. Two years later, in 1965, dishwashers first appeared. I got my first one in 2007. My parents had one back in the ’90s.
So what exactly does your mobile phone do? These days, most mobiles have a vast number of different functions and apps on them. Today, we’ll look at some of them.
Consider though, how you would manage to do all of the things you do now do on your mobile, if they hadn’t been invented. How did we manage to do these things in the past?
Most mobiles, these days, have a camera on them. In fact, the current trend is to have two cameras front and back, for selfies and for taking other photos on. Mobiles also have video cameras on them. We can send and receive messages and talk to people on video using Skype, Viber, and Facebook. Incredible!
Today, let’s talk about fidget spinners. They are the huge new fad for kids at school. Their popularity is sweeping across countries and continents, not to mention school playgrounds.
Fidget spinners are this year’s must have toy. Many adults are confused by their sudden popularity. That’s probably why they’re so popular with kids.
What are fidget spinners? Well, they’re sort of triangular in shape, with three-pronged circles or bearings that spin around a central one. They are palm-sized. What’s more, they’re cheap, so kids can carry round a pocketful of them.
Last week, in the UK, the NHS (National Health Service) was held to ransom by malware stolen from the NSA (National Security Agency), in America. The Nissan car plant in Sunderland was also hit by the hackers.
The virus was unleashed across the world and spread at unprecedented speed. So far, more than 99 countries have been affected, with more than 57,000 victims. The virus, known as WannaCry, and variants of that name, has spread itself across the world, using email.
The ransomware software encrypts files. It then asks for a digital ransom of US$300, to be paid by Bitcoin, before control is safely returned.
WikiLeaks recently released documents that allegedly say that the CIA can bug your Samsung TV, listen in on your mobile, and control your car.
WikiLeaks claims that people can be listened in and watched by ‘Weeping Angels’. This name derives from killer stone statue monsters that featured in the British TV science fiction children’s TV show Dr Who. The Weeping Angels creep up to their victims, then kill them.
The documents revealed how the spooks can convince people that their TV is off, when in fact, it is really recording every word they say, on the microphones on the TVs. The attack was developed by Britain’s MI5.
Today let’s talk about a robot tax. By that, I mean a tax on robots. It is a subject that is currently being discussed, in earnest. Robots are taking over the jobs us humans have done before. If there are fewer workers, it means less tax for governments, right? So the governments have to raise taxes in another way and the introduction of a robot tax can’t be too far away.
These days, robots work in many places, for example, in car factories, on car assembly lines. They cook food and help package it. They are said to be the future workers on farms, picking fruit and vegetables. Who knows?
Today, we will discuss fake news. Why is it happening? Why are people creating fake news? Have they got nothing better to do?
To clarify, fake news is the deliberate spread of misinformation. It is a type of hoax. It is phoney news. It can also be biased news, to derail a situation or real story. Fake news is not factual news. So when people read a story, they struggle to know whether it is fact or fiction.
Like it or lump it, fake news is everywhere. The internet is flooded with fake news. It helps amplify someone’s viewpoint and helps increase online readership and online sharing. This drives profits up, as payments are generated when ads are clicked. Fake news can go viral, thus increasing clicks and income, even more.
Thousands of British teenagers are to be taught a new cyber curriculum. Training will be given in cyber security. The idea being, that it will help boost British defences against the rising threat of online hacking attacks.
The new cyber curriculum scheme is led by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). It is aimed at teenagers between 14 and 18 years of age. An initial target of 5,700 students will be selected for the scheme. Older teenagers will be allowed to join the scheme, if they meet the right criteria. A pilot launch will begin in September.
Today, let’s talk about how the internet is affecting the way we speak and learn English. Perhaps a good example is this British English lesson that stems from the internet.
The World Wide Web today offers people many ways to learn and speak English. Web pages include news, movie clips and social networking sites. All offer a fast instant learning process.
Category: Language / English / Internet
