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Listen&Learn: I, Robot

Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock

Learn about Isaac Asimov’s classic stories of artificial intelligence

Pre-listening vocabulary

• compile: to collect multiple documents and put them in one place
• interview: a meeting where a reporter asks someone questions about their life and experiences
• ethical: good; not harmful to anyone
• criticize: to speak negatively about something or someone
• trope: a common storyline in works of fiction
• morality: a set of rules that humans use to define good and evil
• artificial intelligence: a program that is designed to think like a human

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

I, Robot is a collection of fiction stories by American writer and scientist Isaac Asimov. The stories were originally published in science fiction magazines. They were compiled into a book in 1950. The stories are structured as parts of an interview with a robotics named Susan Calvin. Throughout the book, robots follow Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics. These laws are designed to ensure that robots make ethical . At the time, Asimov’s book was for describing robots as humanlike beings. Asimov often criticized a trope he called the “Frankenstein complex,” which was the belief that robots would eventually turn against their creators. Although has changed since I, Robot was published, it is still seen as an important exploration of morality in artificial intelligence.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The stories in I, Robot are structured as
   a. journal entries
   b. parts of an interview
   c. letters
   
2. The Three Laws of Robotics are meant to ensure that
   a. robots think like humans
   b. robots function properly
   c. robots make ethical decisions
   
3. The “Frankenstein complex” is the belief that
   a. robots will never be as smart as humans
   b. robots will eventually turn against their creators
   c. robots are incapable of emotions

Discussion/essay questions

1. In recent years, scientists have made many advancements in artificial intelligence. Do you think robots will ever be able to think like humans? Do you think it will happen in the near future? Why or why not?

Transcript

I, Robot is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer and scientist Isaac Asimov. The stories were originally published in science fiction magazines. They were compiled into a book in 1950. The stories are structured as parts of an interview with a robotics expert named Susan Calvin. Throughout the book, robots follow Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics. These laws are designed to ensure that robots make ethical decisions. At the time, Asimov’s book was unique for describing robots as humanlike beings. Asimov often criticized a trope he called the “Frankenstein complex,” which was the belief that robots would eventually turn against their creators. Although technology has changed since I, Robot was published, it is still seen as an important exploration of morality in artificial intelligence.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2c 3b

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Written and recorded by Jaksyn Peacock for EnglishClub

© EnglishClub.com

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9 comments

• Tanuja Khartode says:
  

  Robots are invented by humans with higher quality intelligence than human. It can store many information. By adding AI to the robot, it will be able to think like a human. But it has the ability only to do as humans’ order and commands.

• Wavare Payal says:
  

  No

• Kyawzayaoo says:
  

  Robots are invented by humans with higher quality intelligence than human. It can store many information. By adding AI to the robot, it will be able to think like a human. But it has the ability only to do as humans’ order and commands.

• Mustafa says:
  

  Robots are machines as a result of human thinking and the machine cannot reach the level of human thinking that produced them, so we can say that robots will beat humans in services only and will not be able to overcome humans in thinking. If we assume that this is possible, then why did man’s thinking not reach the level of thinking of the Creator who created and produced him.

• hajar says:
  

  Personally, i think the robots are the machines and humans created , so they not have any filings or emotions.
  Maybe in the future the robots will be remplace the humans in the difference speciality for example tourism, in the hotel if we have the robots in the reception is easy to do check-in with the intelligence artificial so you spent few minutes and all services is good , we can’t find any complaint.

• Sumana debnath says:
  

  I am going to improve in English

• The King Of Love says:
  

  Greetings,

  I agree with Mel who says Robots can’t think.

  In addition, Robots don’t have any feeling, they don’t have any soul & finally they can’t understand the meaning of beauty love.

  Love is the greatest gift of God ONLY for humans that Robots are unable of knowing it.

  I wish you all love & peace,

• Mél says:
  

  Robots can’t think, but they imitate humans very well.
  This is already the case.
  For example, when you search for information in Google’s tab bar, Google stores all the information, and it’s the same with Windows, Chat GPT. Each algorithm provides an overview of the trend, the way humans think and the type of solution they are looking for. All this information is available to major companies and governments. Every time you read “for your security, for your confidentiality” you can be convinced that they are taking all your data.

• Mulongo says:
  

  I’m going to improve in English.