Link to the article: https://interestingengineering.com/7-ways-ai-will-help-humanity-not-harm-it
The first paragraph is written in the classic style of English introductions. It starts with a sentence introducing the overall topic:
- Artificial intelligence is an intriguing concept, and innovations in the field are growing by leaps and bounds.
- The implications of AI -- both positive and negative -- have fascinated experts and amateurs alike for many years, but there are some great benefits of artificial intelligence that are perhaps not frequently considered.
This is followed by a couple of paragraphs with general information about the growth and use of AI, including concession to the fears and negative aspects of its use.
Then there is a rebuttal statement, leading to the description of the 7 benefits mentioned in the title:
- Fears of the potentially darker side of AI are one thing, but they are balanced by some surprising potential benefits that AI and ML could be poised to deliver. Here are some of the most notable examples.
It ends with a clear concluding paragraph, with a final sentence that wraps up the main idea:
- While there are some very real concerns around its development, AI could be the best thing since sliced bread if adopted properly.
While the text is written in a less formal style than is required in most language courses, there are very useful phrases introducing opinion or argument as well as phrases of rebuttal and concession.
Some examples:
- it is safe to say that ...
- That being said,
- Fears of ... are one thing, but they are balanced by ...
- can help assist, rather than fully replace
- One of the main benefits of ...
- Such tasks, however, are perfectly suited for ...
- Let's take the example of the banking sector
- In fact, a recent survey of ... found ...
- this field has already proved to be a very fruitful one
- AI has ably demonstrated its utility in ...
- However, what is usually ignored is the fact that ...
- A persuasive example in this regard is ...
- Needless to say,
- this is actually potentially very beneficial
- While there are some very real concerns about ..., AI could also open entirely new areas ...
- developing at (a) breakneck speed
- growing by leaps and bounds
- to come up with
- put in the firing line
- bridge the gap(s)
- the genie cannot be put back in the bottle
- that is your lot
- the best thing since sliced bread
Finally, there are many examples of preposition collocations, which I like to highlight for my students so that they can use them correctly in their own writing:
- focus on
- the implications of
- innovations in (the field)
- the benefits of
- breakthroughs in (the field)
- learn for themselves, in a very sophisticated manner
- risks posed by
- detrimental to
- balanced by
- the bane of
- suited for
- take (full) advantage of
- reprieve from
- aim(ed) at
- incorporation of
- integrated with
- serious ethical issues to work out
- rely on
In general, I found this article to be very useful for student discussion -- starting the lesson by asking for their ideas of the pros and cons of AI -- leading to suggestions for how to counterbalance two examples of advantage and disadvantage. The topic is relevant to just about every field of engineering (or to all fields of engineering), so that it is something the students already have ideas about. And since the text can be used as a model of how to structure an English-style persuasive essay, it can help students in their own writing.
Posts
