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BBC 6 Minutes English 2021, Internet and Technology (2)

Internet and Technology (2)

Agghh, that's so frustrating - like pop-up internet ads and buffering videos that never play!

Modern computers and the internet have revolutionised the way we live today,

bringing us the world with a click of a button.

But not everyone feels happy about these technological developments.

While potentially acting as a force for good and progress,

the internet also provides a way of spreading hate and misinformation. And for some people,

the World Wide Web remains a mysterious and confusing place.

In this programme, we'll hear about a new academic subject called Web

Science. Web Science studies the technology behind the internet.

But from the human side, it's also interested in how people

interact with each other online. So we'll be asking whether studying Web Science

could make the internet better for humanity in the future.

But first it's time for our quiz question. I wonder what the pioneers of the internet would

think about how it is used today. So the question is, who invented the World Wide Web? Was it:

a) Bill Gates,

b) Tim Berners-Lee, or c) Steve Jobs

Well, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were the brains behind Microsoft and Apple Mac,

so I'm going to say c) Tim Berners-Lee.

OK, Sam, we'll find out later. Now, because of coronavirus the annual Web

Science conference was held online this year. Its theme was ‘making the web human-centric'.

One of the conference's key speakers, and co-founder of the new discipline of Web Science,

was Dame Wendy Hall. Here she is speaking to BBC World Service's Digital Planet:

People think about the web as a technology but actually it's co-createdby society.

We put the content on, we interact with the technology, with the platforms, with the social

media networks to create it. What we study is how that works as an ecosystem,this coming together

of people and technology, and it's very interdisciplinary, very socio-technical,

and of course these days a lot of it is powered by AI.

Web Science is not only interested in the technology side of the internet.

As a subject it's very interdisciplinary - involving two or more academic subjects

or areas of knowledge. Web Science combines digital technology with

subjects ranging from psychology and robotics to economics and sociology.

Exchanges between humans and the internet can be seen in social media networks - websites,

apps and computer programmes, like Facebook and Instagram,

which allow people to use electronic devices to communicate and share information.

This view of technology sees the internet as an ecosystem – a complex pattern of relationships

and mutual influences that exists between all living things and their environment.

One ongoing and topical example of websites helpfully interacting with humans

is the Covid contact tracing app.

You might think the mobile phone app, which tracks movements and contact between people

to combat coronavirus, would be a useful practical application of internet technology.

But as Carly Kind, Director of the Ada Lovelace Institute in Cambridge,

explained to BBC World Service's Digital Planet, things are never that straightforward:

Actually, there's a lot of more fundamental questions that haven't been answered yet such as:

is Bluetooth even an adequate mechanism for doing what it says on the tin, which is detecting

contact between two people? The trails so far show that it's not actually that great and so,

do we know for sure that these apps work and they work in the way we want them to?

Do we get the public health information that we need?

Apps like this are designed to support public health - services

to improve the standard of health of a country's general population.

But Carly thinks the mechanisms used must be suitable and adequate – they must actually work or

do what it says on the tin – an informal idiom meaning work exactly as it is intended to.

To find this out, trials - tests to discover how effective or

suitable something is - are carried out over a period of time.

The kind of trials which were carried out during

the invention of the internet in the first place, right, Neil?

Ah yes, the invention of the internet – or to be more accurate, the World Wide Web. In

our quiz question I asked you who invented the World Wide Web? What did you say, Sam?

I said b) Tim Berners-Lee.

Well, you're a first class web scientist, Sam, because that's the correct answer!

Great! In this programme, we've been hearing about Web Science, a new interdisciplinary subject,

combining several areas of study, which investigates the ecosystem of the internet – the

complex pattern of interconnections between humans and their environment.

Social media networks –websites and apps, like Facebook, which let people use electronic

devices to communicate on the internet – show how humans and technology can successfully interact.

A new Covid contact tracing app is currently undergoing trials – tests to see if it works

effectively. This will discover if it does what it says on the tin – works as it's supposed to.

If successful, by alerting people to coronavirus risks the app will support

public health – services aimed at improving the health of the general population.

And that's all from us for now.

And we hope you'll join us again soon for more topical English vocabulary

here at 6 Minute English. Bye for now!

Bye bye!

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Catherine.

And hello, I'm Rob.

Today we have another technology topic.

Oh good! I love technology. It makes things easier, it's fast and means I can have gadgets.

Do you think that technology can actually do things better than humans?

For some things, yes. I think cars that drive themselves will be safer than humans but that

will take away some of the pleasure of driving. So I guess it depends on what you mean by better.

Good point, Rob. And that actually ties in very closely with today's topic

which is technochauvinism.

What's that?

We'll find out shortly, Rob, but before we do, today's quiz question. Artificial Intelligence,

or A.I., is an area of computer science that develops the ability of computers to learn

to do things like solve problems or drive cars without crashing. But in what decade was the term

'Artificial Intelligence' coined? Was it: a) the 1940s,

b) the 1950s or c) the 1960s?

I think it's quite a new expression so I'll go for c) the 1960s.

Good luck with that, Rob, and we'll give you the answer later in the programme.

Now, let's get back to our topic of technochauvinism.

I know what a chauvinist is. It's someone who thinks that their country or race or sex

is better than others. But how does this relate to technology?

We're about to find out. Meredith Broussard is Professor of Journalism at New York University

and she's written a book called Artificial Unintelligence.

She appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme More or Less to talk about it.

Listen carefully and find out her definition of technochauvinism.

Technochauvinism is the idea that technology is always the highest and best solution. So somehow

over the past couple of decades we got into the habit of thinking that doing something with a

computer is always the best and most objective way to do something and that's simply not true.

Computers are not objective, they are proxies for the people who make them.

What is Meredith Broussard's definition of technochauvinism?

It's this idea that using technology is better than not using technology.

She says that we have this idea that a computer is objective. Something that is objective is neutral,

it doesn't have an opinion, it's fair and it's unbiased – so it's

the opposite of being a chauvinist. But Meredith Broussard says this is not true.

She argues that computers are not objective. They are proxies for the people that make them.

You might know the word proxy when you are using your computer in one country

and want to look at something that is only available in a different country.

You can use a piece of software called a proxy to do that.

But a proxy is also a person or a thing that carries out your wishes and your instructions

for you. So computers are only as smart or as objective as the people that programme them.

Computers are proxies for their programmers. Broussard says that believing too much in

Artificial Intelligence can make the world worse. Let's hear a bit more.

This time find out what serious problems in society does she think may be reflected in AI?

It's a nuanced problem. What we have is data on the world as it is

and we have serious problems with racism, sexism, classism, ageism,

in the world right now so there is no such thing as perfect data. We also have a problem inside the

tech world where the creators of algorithms do not have sufficient awareness of social issues

such that they can make good technology that gets us closer to a world as it should be.

She said that society has problems with racism, sexism, classism and ageism.

And she says it's a nuanced problem. A nuanced problem is not simple, but it does have small

and important areas which may be hard to spot, but they need to be considered.

And she also talked about algorithms used to program these technological systems.

An algorithm is a set of instructions that computers use to perform their tasks.

Essentially it's the rules that they use to come up with their answers and Broussard

believes that technology will reflect the views of those who create the algorithms.

Next time you're using a piece of software or your favourite app you might find yourself wondering if

it's a useful tool or does it contain these little nuances that reflect the views of the developer.

Right, Catherine. How about the answer to this week's question then?

I asked in which decade was the term 'Artificial Intelligence' coined.

Was it the 40s, the 50s or the 60s?

And I said the 60s.

But it was actually the 1950s. Never mind, Rob. Let's review today's vocabulary.

Well, we had a chauvinist – that's someone who believes their country,

race or sex is better than any others.

And this gives us technochauvinism,

the belief that a technological solution is always a better solution to a problem.

Next - someone or something that is objective is neutral, fair and balanced.

A proxy is a piece of software but also someone who does something for you, on your behalf.

A nuanced problem is a subtle one, it's not a simple case of right or wrong,

in a nuanced problem there are small but important things that you need to consider.

And an algorithm is a set of software instructions for a computer system.

Well, that's all we have time for today. Goodbye for now.

Bye bye!

Hello, welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Rob.

And I'm Catherine.

So, Catherine, how long do you spend on your smartphone?

My smartphone? Not that long really, only about 18 or 19 hours.

No, sorry, I meant in a day, not in a week.

Er, that's what I meant too, Rob – a day.

Oh wow, so you've even got it right here…

…yep, got it now, Rob. Yes, I should tell you that I suffer from FOMO.

FOMO?

FOMO - Fear of Missing Out. Something cool or interesting might be happening somewhere, Rob,

and I want to be sure I catch it, so I have to keep checking my phone,

to make sure, you know, I don't miss out on anything.

So we could call you a phubber… Hello… I said,

so you're a phubber? Someone who ignores other people because you'd rather look at your phone.

Oh, yeah, that's right.

It sounds like you have a bit of a problem there, Catherine. But you're not the only one.

According to one recent survey, half of teenagers in the USA feel like they are addicted to their

Internet and Technology (2) 6minutová angličtina – internet a technologie mega třída! Jedna hodina nového... (2) Internet und Technologie (2) Internet y tecnología (2) Internet et technologie (2) Internet e tecnologia (2) インターネットとテクノロジー (2) 인터넷과 기술 (2) Internet i technologia (2) Internet e tecnologia (2) Интернет и технологии (2) İnternet ve Teknoloji (2) Інтернет та технології (2) 互联网与科技 (2) 互聯網與科技 (2)

Agghh, that's so frustrating - like pop-up  internet ads and buffering videos that never play! Agghh ، هذا محبط للغاية - مثل إعلانات الإنترنت المنبثقة وتخزين مقاطع الفيديو التي لا تعمل أبدًا! Agghh, das ist so frustrierend - genau wie Pop-up-Internetwerbung und puffernde Videos, die nie abgespielt werden! ポップアップのインターネット広告とか、バッファリングされたビデオが再生されないとか! Agghh, to takie frustrujące - jak wyskakujące reklamy internetowe i buforowanie filmów, które nigdy się nie odtwarzają! Agghh, isso é tão frustrante - tal como os anúncios pop-up da Internet e os vídeos em buffer que nunca são reproduzidos! Это так раздражает, как и всплывающая реклама в Интернете и буферизация видео, которое не воспроизводится! Agghh,这太令人沮丧了——比如弹出式互联网广告和从不播放的缓冲视频!

Modern computers and the internet have  revolutionised the way we live today, Nowoczesne komputery i internet zrewolucjonizowały sposób, w jaki żyjemy dzisiaj, 现代计算机和互联网彻底改变了我们今天的生活方式,

bringing us the world with a click of a button. ボタンをクリックするだけで、私たちに世界をもたらしてくれる。 przybliżając nam świat jednym kliknięciem. que nos traz o mundo com um simples clique num botão. приносит нам мир одним нажатием кнопки.

But not everyone feels happy about  these technological developments. 但并不是每个人都对这些技术发展感到高兴。

While potentially acting as a  force for good and progress, その一方で、善と進歩のための力として機能する可能性もある、 Choć potencjalnie działa jako siła na rzecz dobra i postępu, Ao mesmo tempo que actua potencialmente como uma força para o bem e o progresso, При этом потенциально выступая в качестве силы добра и прогресса, Potansiyel olarak iyilik ve ilerleme için bir güç olarak hareket ederken, 虽然有可能成为推动善和进步的力量,

the internet also provides a way of spreading  hate and misinformation. And for some people, a Internet também é uma forma de espalhar o ódio e a desinformação. E para algumas pessoas, 互联网还提供了一种传播仇恨和错误信息的方式。而对于一些人来说,

the World Wide Web remains a  mysterious and confusing place. ワールド・ワイド・ウェブは依然として謎めいた混乱した場所である。 a World Wide Web continua a ser um sítio misterioso e confuso. 万维网仍然是一个神秘而令人困惑的地方。

In this programme, we'll hear about  a new academic subject called Web

Science. Web Science studies the  technology behind the internet. サイエンスウェブサイエンスはインターネットを支える技術を研究している。 Nauki ścisłe. Web Science bada technologię kryjącą się za internetem. Наука. Web Science изучает технологии, лежащие в основе Интернета.

But from the human side, it's  also interested in how people Mas, do ponto de vista humano, também está interessado em saber como as pessoas 但从人性的角度来看,它也对人们如何

interact with each other online. So we'll  be asking whether studying Web Science interagem uns com os outros em linha. Por isso, vamos perguntar se estudar Web Science

could make the internet better  for humanity in the future.

But first it's time for our quiz question. I  wonder what the pioneers of the internet would Ale najpierw nadszedł czas na nasze pytanie quizowe. Zastanawiam się, co zrobiliby pionierzy internetu Mas primeiro é altura da nossa pergunta do questionário. Gostava de saber o que é que os pioneiros da Internet 但首先是我们的测验问题的时间。我想知道互联网的先驱们会怎样

think about how it is used today. So the question  is, who invented the World Wide Web? Was it: pomyśl o tym, jak jest dziś używany. Więc pytanie brzmi, kto wynalazł World Wide Web? To było:

a) Bill Gates,

b) Tim Berners-Lee, or c) Steve Jobs

Well, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were the  brains behind Microsoft and Apple Mac, ビル・ゲイツとスティーブ・ジョブズは、マイクロソフトとアップル・マックの頭脳だった、

so I'm going to say c) Tim Berners-Lee.

OK, Sam, we'll find out later. Now,  because of coronavirus the annual Web OK, Sam, descobriremos mais tarde. Agora, por causa do coronavírus, a campanha anual da Web Хорошо, Сэм, мы узнаем это позже. Сейчас из-за коронавируса ежегодный Web Tamam Sam, sonra öğreniriz. Şimdi, koronavirüs yüzünden yıllık Web 好的,山姆,我们稍后会发现。现在,由于冠状病毒,一年一度的网络

Science conference was held online this year.  Its theme was ‘making the web human-centric'. 今年の科学会議はオンラインで開催された。テーマは「ウェブを人間中心に」。 Konferencja naukowa odbyła się w tym roku online. Jego tematem było „czynienie sieci skoncentrowanej na człowieku”. Este ano, a conferência científica realizou-se em linha. O seu tema foi "tornar a Web centrada no ser humano". 今年科学大会在网上召开。它的主题是“让网络以人为本”。

One of the conference's key speakers, and  co-founder of the new discipline of Web Science, Um dos principais oradores da conferência e cofundador da nova disciplina de Web Science, 会议的主要发言人之一,网络科学新学科的联合创始人,

was Dame Wendy Hall. Here she is speaking  to BBC World Service's Digital Planet: foi Dame Wendy Hall. Aqui está ela a falar para o Digital Planet do Serviço Mundial da BBC: была дама Венди Холл. Здесь она выступает в программе Digital Planet Всемирной службы Би-би-си: 是温迪·霍尔夫人。在这里,她正在与 BBC World Service 的数字星球对话:

People think about the web as a technology  but actually it's co-createdby society. Ludzie myślą o sieci jako o technologii, ale w rzeczywistości jest ona współtworzona przez społeczeństwo. As pessoas pensam na Web como uma tecnologia, mas na verdade ela é co-criada pela sociedade. Люди думают о Сети как о технологии, но на самом деле она создается обществом. 人们认为网络是一种技术,但实际上它是由社会共同创造的。

We put the content on, we interact with the  technology, with the platforms, with the social Wprowadzamy treści, wchodzimy w interakcję z technologią, platformami, społecznościami 我们发布内容,与技术、平台、社交互动

media networks to create it. What we study is how  that works as an ecosystem,this coming together メディアネットワークがそれを生み出す。私たちが研究しているのは、それがエコシステムとしてどのように機能するかということだ。 sieci medialne, aby go stworzyć. Badamy, jak to działa jako ekosystem, to połączenie się redes de media para o criar. O que estudamos é a forma como isso funciona como um ecossistema, esta junção медиасети для его создания. Мы изучаем, как это работает в качестве экосистемы, как это объединяется. 媒体网络来创建它。我们研究的是它是如何作为一个生态系统运作的,它融合在一起

of people and technology, and it's very  interdisciplinary, very socio-technical, 人とテクノロジーの、非常に学際的で、非常に社会技術的なものだ、 人和技术,它非常跨学科,非常社会技术,

and of course these days a  lot of it is powered by AI. 当然,现在很多都是由人工智能驱动的。

Web Science is not only interested in  the technology side of the internet. Web Science 不仅对互联网的技术方面感兴趣。

As a subject it's very interdisciplinary  - involving two or more academic subjects

or areas of knowledge. Web Science  combines digital technology with

subjects ranging from psychology and  robotics to economics and sociology. temas que vão da psicologia e da robótica à economia e à sociologia.

Exchanges between humans and the internet can  be seen in social media networks - websites, 人間とインターネットとの交流は、ソーシャルメディア・ネットワーク(ウェブサイト)に見ることができる、 Wymiany między człowiekiem a internetem można zaobserwować w sieciach społecznościowych – stronach internetowych, Обмен между людьми и интернетом можно наблюдать в социальных сетях - сайтах, 人类与互联网之间的交流可以在社交媒体网络——网站、

apps and computer programmes,  like Facebook and Instagram,

which allow people to use electronic devices  to communicate and share information.

This view of technology sees the internet as an  ecosystem – a complex pattern of relationships この技術観は、インターネットをエコシステム(複雑な関係性のパターン)として捉えている。 Ten pogląd na technologię postrzega internet jako ekosystem – złożony wzorzec relacji Bu teknoloji görüşü interneti bir ekosistem olarak görür - karmaşık bir ilişkiler örüntüsü 这种技术观点将互联网视为一个生态系统——一种复杂的关系模式

and mutual influences that exists between  all living things and their environment. i wzajemne wpływy, które istnieją między wszystkimi żywymi istotami a ich środowiskiem. 以及所有生物及其环境之间存在的相互影响。

One ongoing and topical example of  websites helpfully interacting with humans Один из постоянных и актуальных примеров того, как веб-сайты помогают взаимодействовать с людьми 一个正在进行的和热门的网站示例,有助于与人类互动

is the Covid contact tracing app. это приложение для отслеживания контактов Covid. 是 Covid 接触者追踪应用程序。

You might think the mobile phone app, which  tracks movements and contact between people

to combat coronavirus, would be a useful  practical application of internet technology. コロナウイルスと闘うための、インターネット技術の有用な実用化である。 do walki z koronawirusem byłoby przydatnym praktycznym zastosowaniem technologii internetowej. 对抗冠状病毒,将是互联网技术的一个有用的实际应用。

But as Carly Kind, Director of the  Ada Lovelace Institute in Cambridge, 但正如剑桥 Ada Lovelace 研究所所长 Carly Kind 所说,

explained to BBC World Service's Digital  Planet, things are never that straightforward: wyjaśnił BBC World Service Digital Planet, sprawy nigdy nie są takie proste: 向 BBC World Service 的数字星球解释说,事情从来没有那么简单:

Actually, there's a lot of more fundamental  questions that haven't been answered yet such as: 实际上,还有很多更基本的问题尚未得到解答,例如:

is Bluetooth even an adequate mechanism for  doing what it says on the tin, which is detecting Bluetooth est-il même un mécanisme adéquat pour faire ce qui est indiqué sur la boîte, c'est-à-dire détecter des ブルートゥースとは、その名の通り、以下のことを検出するのに十分なメカニズムなのだろうか? czy Bluetooth jest nawet odpowiednim mechanizmem do robienia tego, co mówi na puszce, czyli wykrywania o Bluetooth é mesmo um mecanismo adequado para fazer o que diz na lata, que é detetar является ли Bluetooth вообще адекватным механизмом для выполнения того, о чем говорится на упаковке - обнаружения Bluetooth навіть є адекватним механізмом для того, щоб виконувати те, що написано на жерсті, яка виявляє 蓝牙甚至是一个足够的机制来做它在锡上所说的,它正在检测

contact between two people? The trails so far  show that it's not actually that great and so, 二人の接触?これまでの軌跡を見ると、実はそれほど素晴らしいものではないことがわかる、 kontakt między dwojgiem ludzi? Dotychczasowe szlaki pokazują, że w rzeczywistości nie jest tak wspaniale i tak, контакт между двумя людьми? Пройденный путь показывает, что на самом деле это не так уж и здорово и поэтому, 两个人的联系?到目前为止的轨迹表明它实际上并没有那么好,所以,

do we know for sure that these apps work  and they work in the way we want them to? знаем ли мы наверняка, что эти приложения работают и работают так, как мы хотим?

Do we get the public health  information that we need? Czy otrzymujemy potrzebne nam informacje dotyczące zdrowia publicznego?

Apps like this are designed to  support public health - services 像这样的应用程序旨在支持公共卫生 - 服务

to improve the standard of health  of a country's general population. その国の一般住民の健康水準を向上させる。 提高一个国家普通民众的健康水平。

But Carly thinks the mechanisms used must be  suitable and adequate – they must actually work or Carly uważa jednak, że zastosowane mechanizmy muszą być odpowiednie i adekwatne – muszą faktycznie działać lub…

do what it says on the tin – an informal idiom  meaning work exactly as it is intended to. do what it says on the tin - インフォーマルな慣用句で、意図したとおりに動くという意味。 rób to, co jest napisane na puszce – nieformalne znaczenie idiomu działa dokładnie tak, jak powinno. fazer o que está escrito na lata - uma expressão idiomática informal que significa trabalhar exatamente como se pretende. do what it says on the tin - неформальная идиома, означающая "работать именно так, как задумано".

To find this out, trials - tests  to discover how effective or 为了找出这一点,试验 - 测试发现如何有效或

suitable something is - are  carried out over a period of time. etwas geeignet ist - über einen bestimmten Zeitraum hinweg durchgeführt werden. 適切な何かは、一定期間にわたって実施される。 coś jest odpowiednie - są przeprowadzane przez pewien czas. adequado algo é - são realizadas durante um período de tempo. подходящие для чего-либо - осуществляются в течение определенного периода времени. 合适的事情是 - 在一段时间内进行。

The kind of trials which were carried out during Die Art der Versuche, die während der Rodzaj prób, które zostały przeprowadzone podczas O tipo de ensaios que foram efectuados durante 期间进行的试验类型

the invention of the internet  in the first place, right, Neil? wynalezienie internetu, prawda, Neil? 首先是互联网的发明,对吧,尼尔?

Ah yes, the invention of the internet – or  to be more accurate, the World Wide Web. In Ah, sim, a invenção da Internet - ou, para ser mais exato, da World Wide Web. Em 啊,是的,互联网的发明——或者更准确地说,万维网。在

our quiz question I asked you who invented  the World Wide Web? What did you say, Sam?

I said b) Tim Berners-Lee.

Well, you're a first class web scientist,  Sam, because that's the correct answer! Cóż, jesteś najwyższej klasy naukowcem internetowym, Sam, bo to poprawna odpowiedź!

Great! In this programme, we've been hearing about  Web Science, a new interdisciplinary subject,

combining several areas of study, which  investigates the ecosystem of the internet – the łączenie kilku dziedzin nauki, które badają ekosystem internetu – te

complex pattern of interconnections  between humans and their environment.

Social media networks –websites and apps,  like Facebook, which let people use electronic

devices to communicate on the internet – show how  humans and technology can successfully interact.

A new Covid contact tracing app is currently  undergoing trials – tests to see if it works Nowa aplikacja do śledzenia kontaktów firmy Covid przechodzi obecnie testy – testy, aby sprawdzić, czy działa Uma nova aplicação de rastreio de contactos Covid está atualmente em fase de testes - testes para ver se funciona

effectively. This will discover if it does what  it says on the tin – works as it's supposed to. эффективно. Это позволит выяснить, действительно ли он работает так, как заявлено на упаковке.

If successful, by alerting people to  coronavirus risks the app will support

public health – services aimed at improving  the health of the general population. 公衆衛生 - 一般住民の健康増進を目的としたサービス。

And that's all from us for now.

And we hope you'll join us again soon  for more topical English vocabulary

here at 6 Minute English. Bye for now!

Bye bye!

Hello and welcome to 6 Minute  English. I'm Catherine.

And hello, I'm Rob.

Today we have another technology topic.

Oh good! I love technology. It makes things  easier, it's fast and means I can have gadgets. いいね!私はテクノロジーが大好きだ。物事を簡単にしてくれるし、速いし、ガジェットを持つことができる。 Que bom! Eu adoro tecnologia. Torna as coisas mais fáceis, é rápida e significa que posso ter gadgets.

Do you think that technology can  actually do things better than humans?

For some things, yes. I think cars that drive  themselves will be safer than humans but that

will take away some of the pleasure of driving.  So I guess it depends on what you mean by better.

Good point, Rob. And that actually  ties in very closely with today's topic Bem visto, Rob. E isso, de facto, está muito relacionado com o tópico de hoje

which is technochauvinism.

What's that?

We'll find out shortly, Rob, but before we do,  today's quiz question. Artificial Intelligence,

or A.I., is an area of computer science that  develops the ability of computers to learn

to do things like solve problems or drive cars  without crashing. But in what decade was the term чтобы делать такие вещи, как решать проблемы или водить автомобили без аварий. Но в каком десятилетии термин

'Artificial Intelligence' coined? Was it: a) the 1940s,

b) the 1950s or c) the 1960s?

I think it's quite a new expression  so I'll go for c) the 1960s.

Good luck with that, Rob, and we'll give  you the answer later in the programme.

Now, let's get back to our  topic of technochauvinism.

I know what a chauvinist is. It's someone  who thinks that their country or race or sex Wiem, kim jest szowinista. To ktoś, kto myśli, że ich kraj, rasa lub płeć

is better than others. But how  does this relate to technology?

We're about to find out. Meredith Broussard is  Professor of Journalism at New York University Сейчас мы это узнаем. Мередит Бруссард - профессор журналистики Нью-Йоркского университета

and she's written a book called  Artificial Unintelligence.

She appeared on the BBC Radio 4  programme More or Less to talk about it.

Listen carefully and find out her  definition of technochauvinism.

Technochauvinism is the idea that technology is  always the highest and best solution. So somehow O tecnochauvinismo é a ideia de que a tecnologia é sempre a melhor e mais elevada solução. Assim, de alguma forma

over the past couple of decades we got into the  habit of thinking that doing something with a Ao longo das últimas décadas, adquirimos o hábito de pensar que fazer algo com um За последние несколько десятилетий мы привыкли считать, что делать что-то с помощью

computer is always the best and most objective  way to do something and that's simply not true. компьютер - это всегда самый лучший и объективный способ сделать что-то, а это просто неправда.

Computers are not objective, they are  proxies for the people who make them. コンピューターは客観的なものではなく、それを作る人間の代理なのだ。 Komputery nie są obiektywne, są zastępcami dla ludzi, którzy je tworzą.

What is Meredith Broussard's  definition of technochauvinism?

It's this idea that using technology  is better than not using technology.

She says that we have this idea that a computer is  objective. Something that is objective is neutral, Mówi, że mamy wyobrażenie, że komputer jest obiektywny. Coś obiektywnego jest neutralne,

it doesn't have an opinion, it's  fair and it's unbiased – so it's

the opposite of being a chauvinist. But  Meredith Broussard says this is not true.

She argues that computers are not objective.  They are proxies for the people that make them. Ela argumenta que os computadores não são objectivos. São representantes das pessoas que os criam.

You might know the word proxy when you  are using your computer in one country

and want to look at something that is  only available in a different country.

You can use a piece of software  called a proxy to do that.

But a proxy is also a person or a thing that  carries out your wishes and your instructions

for you. So computers are only as smart or as  objective as the people that programme them. для вас. Таким образом, компьютеры настолько умны или объективны, насколько умны и объективны люди, которые их программируют.

Computers are proxies for their programmers.  Broussard says that believing too much in Komputery są proxy dla ich programistów. Broussard mówi, że za bardzo wierzy w

Artificial Intelligence can make the  world worse. Let's hear a bit more.

This time find out what serious problems in  society does she think may be reflected in AI? Cette fois, découvrez quels graves problèmes de société pourraient, selon elle, se refléter dans l'IA ?

It's a nuanced problem. What we  have is data on the world as it is Trata-se de um problema de nuances. O que temos são dados sobre o mundo tal como ele é

and we have serious problems with  racism, sexism, classism, ageism, et nous avons de sérieux problèmes de racisme, de sexisme, de classisme, d'âgisme, И у нас есть серьезные проблемы с расизмом, сексизмом, классом, эйджизмом,

in the world right now so there is no such thing  as perfect data. We also have a problem inside the в мире, поэтому идеальных данных не бывает. У нас также есть проблема внутри

tech world where the creators of algorithms do  not have sufficient awareness of social issues monde de la tech où les créateurs d'algorithmes n'ont pas suffisamment conscience des enjeux sociaux

such that they can make good technology that  gets us closer to a world as it should be. de sorte qu'ils peuvent créer une bonne technologie qui nous rapproche d'un monde tel qu'il devrait être.

She said that society has problems with  racism, sexism, classism and ageism.

And she says it's a nuanced problem. A nuanced  problem is not simple, but it does have small

and important areas which may be hard  to spot, but they need to be considered. e domínios importantes que podem ser difíceis de detetar, mas que devem ser tidos em conta.

And she also talked about algorithms used  to program these technological systems.

An algorithm is a set of instructions  that computers use to perform their tasks. Un algorithme est un ensemble d'instructions que les ordinateurs utilisent pour effectuer leurs tâches. Um algoritmo é um conjunto de instruções que os computadores utilizam para efetuar as suas tarefas.

Essentially it's the rules that they use  to come up with their answers and Broussard

believes that technology will reflect the  views of those who create the algorithms.

Next time you're using a piece of software or your  favourite app you might find yourself wondering if

it's a useful tool or does it contain these little  nuances that reflect the views of the developer.

Right, Catherine. How about the  answer to this week's question then?

I asked in which decade was the term  'Artificial Intelligence' coined.

Was it the 40s, the 50s or the 60s?

And I said the 60s.

But it was actually the 1950s. Never mind,  Rob. Let's review today's vocabulary.

Well, we had a chauvinist – that's  someone who believes their country,

race or sex is better than any others.

And this gives us technochauvinism,

the belief that a technological solution  is always a better solution to a problem.

Next - someone or something that is  objective is neutral, fair and balanced. Ensuite - quelqu'un ou quelque chose qui est objectif est neutre, juste et équilibré.

A proxy is a piece of software but also someone  who does something for you, on your behalf. Un proxy est un logiciel mais aussi quelqu'un qui fait quelque chose pour vous, en votre nom. Прокси - это не только программное обеспечение, но и человек, который делает что-то за вас, от вашего имени.

A nuanced problem is a subtle one, it's  not a simple case of right or wrong,

in a nuanced problem there are small but  important things that you need to consider. в нюансах проблемы есть небольшие, но важные моменты, которые необходимо учитывать.

And an algorithm is a set of software  instructions for a computer system. E um algoritmo é um conjunto de instruções de software para um sistema informático.

Well, that's all we have time  for today. Goodbye for now.

Bye bye!

Hello, welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Rob.

And I'm Catherine.

So, Catherine, how long do  you spend on your smartphone?

My smartphone? Not that long  really, only about 18 or 19 hours.

No, sorry, I meant in a day, not in a week.

Er, that's what I meant too, Rob – a day. Euh, c'est ce que je voulais dire aussi, Rob – un jour.

Oh wow, so you've even got it right here… Oh wow, alors vous l'avez même ici… Och wow, więc masz to nawet tutaj… Oh uau, então até já o tens aqui mesmo... Опаньки, так у вас даже здесь...

…yep, got it now, Rob. Yes, I should  tell you that I suffer from FOMO. … oui, compris maintenant, Rob. Oui, je dois vous dire que je souffre de FOMO.

FOMO?

FOMO - Fear of Missing Out. Something cool or  interesting might be happening somewhere, Rob, FOMO - Peur de manquer quelque chose. Il se peut qu'il se passe quelque chose de cool ou d'intéressant quelque part, Rob, FOMO - Strach przed przeoczeniem. Gdzieś może się dziać coś fajnego lub interesującego, Rob,

and I want to be sure I catch it,  so I have to keep checking my phone, et je veux être sûr de l'attraper, donc je dois continuer à vérifier mon téléphone,

to make sure, you know, I  don't miss out on anything. pour m'assurer, tu sais, que je ne rate rien. чтобы быть уверенным, что я ничего не упущу.

So we could call you a phubber… Hello… I said, Donc, nous pourrions vous appeler un phubber… Bonjour… J'ai dit,

so you're a phubber? Someone who ignores other  people because you'd rather look at your phone. alors tu es un phubber? Quelqu'un qui ignore les autres parce que vous préférez regarder votre téléphone.

Oh, yeah, that's right.

It sounds like you have a bit of a problem  there, Catherine. But you're not the only one.

According to one recent survey, half of teenagers  in the USA feel like they are addicted to their