The way technology is moving so rapidly, soon many appliances and machines will be able to do tasks previously undertaken by humans. This is a hot topic and many people in China like to debate the pros and cons; many are for progress but some are concerned about the robotisation of society. Be sure you can join in the discussion in Mandarin Chinese to put forward your point of view…
In this Podcast, you will learn:
(i) How to talk about artificial intelligence
(ii) To speak about the pros and cons of robots
Dialogue:
Two friends are talking about technology:
（在咖啡厅）
(Zài kā fēi tīng)
(at the café)
A:我买了一个吸尘器机器人。以后它帮我吸地毯，我可算解放了！
A: Wǒ mǎi le yī gè xī chén qì jī qì rén. Yǐ hòu tā bāng wǒ xī dì tǎn, wǒ kě suàn jiě fàng le!
I just bought a robot vacuum cleaner. It will help me vacuum the carpet. Finally, I am liberated!
B:你真是向人工智能化的生活迈向了第一步。
B: Nǐ zhēn shi xiàng rén gōng zhì néng huà de shēng huó mài xiàng le dì yī bù.
You took your first step towards a life of artificial intelligence (AI).
A：哈哈是啊。现在科技越来越发达了，你看到谷歌公司研发的机器狗了么？多牛啊！
A: Hā hā shì a. Xiàn zài kē jì yuè lái yuè fā dá le, nǐ kàn dào gǔ gē gōng sī yán fā de jī qì gǒu le me? Duō niú a!
Haha, that’s right. Nowadays, science technology is more and more developed. Did you see the robot dog which was developed by Google? How cool is that!
B:是很棒。我觉得，一方面，人类确实需要人工智能的帮助，但从另一方面来说，人类还是需要找到掌控人工智能的方法。要不然，在未来，我们人类很有可能会被人工智能毁灭。
B: Shì hěn bàng. Wǒ jué dé, yī fāng miàn, rén lèi què shí xū yào rén gōng zhì néng de bāng zhù, dàn cóng lìng yī fāng miàn lái shuō, rén lèi hái shì xū yào zhǎo dào zhǎng kòng rén gōng zhì néng de fāng fǎ. Yào bù rán, zài wèi lái, wǒ men rén lèi hěn yǒu kě néng huì bèi rén gōng zhì néng huǐ miè.
Yes, it is great. I think, on one hand, human beings do need the help of AI. But, on the other hand, we still need to find the ways to control AI. Otherwise, in the future, humans may be controlled by AI.
Chinese words and phrases mentioned in this Podcast:
吸尘器：vacuum
吸：suck
尘：dust
器：machine
机器人：robot
吸: vacuum
地毯：carpet
解放：liberate, relieve
总算：finally, eventually
人工智能：artificial intelligence (AI)
生活：life
向……迈出第一步：take the first step
科：科学, science
技：技术, technology
越来越：more and more
发达：developed
发达国家：developed country
谷歌：Google
公司：company
研：研究, research
发：开发, developed
机器狗：robot dog
多牛：great, brilliant
很棒：awesome
一方面：on one hand
人类：human being
确实需要：do need
帮助：help
从另一方面说：on the other hand
找到：find
掌控：control
方法：way
要不然：otherwise
在未来：in the future
被毁灭：be destroyed
很可能：probably