【明報專訊】A group of scientists and entrepreneurs, including Stephen Hawking (霍金), have signed an open letter promising to ensure that AI (artificial intelligence) research will benefit humanity. They have warned that greater focus is needed on AI's safety and social benefits.

The document is drafted by the Future of Life Institute (FLI, 生命未來研究所) in the US. "Because of the great potential of AI, it is important to research how to reap its benefits while avoiding potential pitfalls. Our AI systems must do what we want them to do." the FLI's letter says.

Areas benefiting from AI research include speech recognition, machine translation and autonomous transportation. As the letter says, there is now a broad consensus that AI research is progressing steadily and its impact on society is likely to increase. (source: Ming Pao, Financial Times)

■Quiz

Answer the following questions. Complete sentences are not needed.

1. What is the abbreviation of "artificial intelligence"?

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2. What is Stephen Hawking by occupation?

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3. Name an area that benefits from AI research.

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4. How does the impact of AI tend to be?

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■Words

artificial intelligence 人工智能

humanity 人類

autonomous 自主的

■Glossary

reap (v) 受益

pitfall (n) 陷阱

consensus (n) 一致看法

steadily (adv) 平穩地