Lesson 5. The Future Is Yours
본문5-1 Life with Artificial Intelligence
인공지능과 함께하는 삶"Hurry up!" Charlie's dad shouts from the front door.
Today, Charlie is going on a school field trip to the museum.
He woke up late and missed the school bus, so his dad is going to take him there.
As soon as they hurry into their self-driving car, Charlie's dad activates the car by asking it to take them to the museum.
When Charlie arrives, his classmates and a robot guide are waiting for him.
The robot guide reads Charlie's face and notices that he feels sorry for not arriving on time.
It tells him, "It's all right. You are not too late."
Then, the robot guide starts to introduce the paintings hanging on the wall.
Some are painted by humans, and others are painted by robots.
However, Charlie cannot confidently distinguish the pictures painted by robots from those painted by humans.
Do you think this could happen in the distant future?
Believe it or not, some of these things are happening right now thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) ― technology that enables machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence.
Machines with AI can recognize speech, translate languages, and make decisions much like humans do.
Here are three examples of how AI is already changing our lives.
Hit the Road without a Human at the Wheel
Self-driving cars are vehicles that don't need to be operated by a human driver during the driving
phase.
If the passenger simply inputs a destination, this automobile does the rest.
Self-driving cars have sensors that can detect pedestrians, cyclists, other vehicles on the road, or even a plastic bag that has suddenly been blown into traffic.
The AI software in self-driving cars predicts the movement of all of these objects and chooses the safest speed and direction for the car to travel.
Also, because the car's AI system can do all this without becoming tired or distracted, some believe that self-driving cars are even safer than those operated by humans.
A Robot That Reads Your Emotions
If you've ever wanted to be friends with a robot, here is one with “emotions" for you.
This "emotional” robot is designed to interact with people and sense their emotions.
It uses sensors to recognize people's facial expressions and tones of voice.
Through AI, it interprets these as emotions, such as anger, happiness, and sadness and reacts to them.
So if you feel down, it will play your favorite song to amuse you.
Thanks to these characteristics, some businesses have started using these robots in customer service roles.
These robots can greet customers, engage them in conversation, and explain the products and services on behalf of the company.
The First Artificial Intelligence Artist
AARON is AI software that paints pictures by itself.
It has been producing paintings since 1973.
At first, it could only make abstract images in black and white.
However, over the last 40 years, it has acquired the ability to paint plenty of realistic images of things like rocks, plants, and people, and it can now paint in color, too.
AARON cannot paint new images and styles of painting by itself, but once they are coded into the software, it can draw an almost infinite number of unique paintings.
Several of AARON's paintings have been widely praised and exhibited in art galleries around the world.
Some people even say that they are more artistic than paintings done by humans.
Artificial intelligence carries out various tasks to improve human society in many ways.
However, AI is also controversial.
What some people worry about is that it may exceed human intelligence and we will no longer be able to control it.
Meanwhile, other people claim that AI will never be able to overtake humans.
That is because AI still lacks some important abilities, like developing goals of its own that are independent of its inventor's commands.
Nobody can predict exactly how the future of AI will unfold, but it is clear that AI is quickly evolving and we will be using it more in the future.
To avoid any potential problems, many experts suggest that legal and ethical standards for AI be devised.
If we are prepared, humans and robots will have a better chance of coexisting peacefully and productively in the years to come.
본문5-2 An Interview with a Futurist
미래학자와의 인터뷰Hailey: Good afternoon, everyone!
This is Hailey, and today we are talking about jobs of the future.
Many high school students are encouraged to figure out which career they would like to pursue in the future.
It is a huge concern for many students.
So, today, we've invited a special guest, who has some great advice for them.
Let's give a great big welcome to famous futurist Dr. James Kim.
Dr. Kim: Thank you for inviting me, Hailey.
Hailey: It's my pleasure.
In many books and films depicting the future, robots have taken over human jobs.
Do you think this will eventually happen?
Dr. Kim: In the 18th century, the introduction of machines in factories caused many people to lose their jobs.
Likewise, I believe that robots will have a similar effect, replacing lots of the jobs that people are doing now.
In my view, occupations that involve repetitive and mechanical tasks in particular will be taken over by robots.
Hailey: That sounds scary!
Do you mean it is inevitable that we will be losing our jobs in the future?
Dr. Kim: You don't have to worry too much.
People have always been able to replace the jobs that are lost because of new technology.
When it comes to inventing new technologies or creating inspiring art, humans have a striking advantage over robots.
Hailey: I see.
Then, what will be some of the most promising jobs in the future?
Dr. Kim: In my opinion, the majority of jobs that people will have in the future probably haven't even been invented yet.
About ten years ago, smartphone application developers didn't exist.
But now I think they're one of the hottest jobs around.
And just as the invention of the smartphone has created many new jobs, further developments in technology will continue to cause big changes in the job market.
This means that your future career might not exist yet either.
Dr. Kim: No one knows exactly what skills you'll need in the future.
What matters is knowing how to learn.
Because the world is changing rapidly, what you learn today can quickly become outdated.
However, the skills of learning will last your whole life.
In addition, stay up to date on new technology.
I suggest you pay attention to both the general technological trends and their effects on the industry that you are interested in.
Hailey: That sounds like good advice.
Is there anything you want to add?
Dr. Kim: There is a famous quote that I always mention when I talk about future jobs:
Although it is hard to forecast what our future will look like, by knowing how to learn and keeping up to date on new technology, we can always be prepared for whatever the future may hold.
Hailey: Thank you for sharing this with us, Dr. Kim.
