In Neal Stephenson’s 1995 science fiction novel, The Diamond Age, readers meet Nell, a young girl who comes into possession of a highly advanced book, The Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer. The book is not the usual static collection of texts and images but a deeply immersive tool that can converse with the reader, answer questions, and personalise its content, all in service of educating and motivating a young girl to be a strong, independent individual.
Such a device, even after the introduction of the Internet and tablet computers, has remained in the realm of science fiction—until now. Artificial intelligence, or AI, took a giant leap forward with the introduction in November 2022 of ChatGPT, an AI technology capable of producing remarkably creative responses and sophisticated analysis through human-like dialogue. It has triggered a wave of innovation, some of which suggests we might be on the brink of an era of interactive, super-intelligent tools not unlike the book Stephenson dreamed up for Nell.
Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO, calls artificial intelligence “more profound than fire or electricity or anything we have done in the past.” Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn and current partner at Greylock Partners, says, “The power to make positive change in the world is about to get the biggest boost it’s ever had.” And Bill Gates has said that “this new wave of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone.”
Over the last year, developers have released a dizzying array of AI tools that can generate text, images, music, and video with no need for complicated coding but simply in response to instructions given in natural language. These technologies are rapidly improving, and developers are introducing capabilities that would have been considered science fiction just a few years ago. AI is also raising pressing ethical questions around bias, appropriate use, and plagiarism.
In the realm of education, this technology will influence how students learn, how teachers work, and ultimately how we structure our education system. Some educators and leaders look forward to these changes with great enthusiasm. Sal Kahn, founder of Khan Academy, went so far as to say in a TED talk that AI has the potential to effect “probably the biggest positive transformation that education has ever seen.” But others warn that AI will enable the spread of misinformation, facilitate cheating in school and college, kill whatever vestiges of individual privacy remain, and cause massive job loss. The challenge is to harness the positive potential while avoiding or mitigating the harm.
(Adapted from https://www.educationnext.org)
Question 34: What can be the best title for the passage?
A. The Future of AI in Education B. The Ethical Challenges of AI
C. AI Tools: Revolutionizing the World D. AI and Its Potential Impact on Education
Question 35: The word “personalise” in the passage is closest in meaning to ____________.
A. interact B. advance C. challenge D. customize
Question 36: The word “human-like” in the passage is opposite in meaning to ______.
A. minor B. significant C. robotic D. important
Question 37: According to the passage, AI technology will _________.
A. only affect the education sector.
B. impact various fields including education, technology, and business.
C. lead to the end of traditional teaching methods.
D. create more job opportunities in coding.
Question 38: The word “its” in the passage refers to ______.
A. the book’s B. the technology’s
C. the computer’s D. the Internet’s
Question 39: Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. AI’s capability to generate creative responses.
B. Concerns about AI facilitating cheating.
C. AI's potential to replace teachers completely.
D. The improvement of AI tools over time.
Question 40: It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. AI has both benefits and risks that need careful consideration.
B. The introduction of AI will completely transform education.
C. AI will primarily be used in creative fields like art and music.
D. The development of AI is happening slowly and cautiously.
