ESL WORKSHEET - AI and its impact on Jobs

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

LOSING JOBS TO AI

LinguaHouse
Oct. 24, 2023

Level: Mixed Levels (B1-B2 and B2-C1)
Type of English: Business English
Tags: Science and Technology; Society and Change; Jobs; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old; Article Based; Vocabulary Lesson
Publication date: 10/24/2023

This lesson looks at the development of AI and the impact this could have on jobs. Students will listen to an interview where this is discussed and also read extracts from three different essays about the possible negative impact of AI. Exercises focus on related vocabulary, reading and listening skills. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss questions on the topic and complete the lesson with an optional essay to write (by Joe Wilson).

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L5).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L5).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L5).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L5).
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audios (Am/Br English).

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Presenter: Now many of you will have noticed the rise of talk in the media recently about AI, or Artificial Intelligence. In the studio to talk to us about it today is Michelle McVee from the local business school. Michelle, welcome!
Michelle: Thank you!
Presenter: Why are people concerned about AI?
Michelle: Well, much like when there’s any significant change, people are worried about losing what they have. The advances in AI seem to have moved very quickly of late, and it’s threatening a new area of work: white-collar jobs. We’ve all got used to the self-checkout in supermarkets and ordering food online when you’re already in a restaurant. That was technology taking blue-collar jobs, but now it’s the turn of the office workers. A report by Goldman Sachs has predicted that it could replace the equivalent of around 300 million jobs, but that the impact will be different from profession to profession. So where administrative roles could have around 46% of tasks performed by AI, it will only be 6% in the building industry and 4% in maintenance. Around 44% of tasks in legal professions will be replaced by AI.
Presenter: So, is this likely to affect salaries?
Michelle: Possibly. For example, journalists previously had to be excellent writers. Now with ChatGPT, you can generate reasonable writing quite quickly, meaning people with lower skills can compete for the same job which will drive down wages. We’ve already seen it with other professions too. London cab drivers used to have to do an exam called The Knowledge which carefully tested how well they knew how to get around the streets of London. Now, an Uber driver with a GPS can do the same thing, even if they’ve only lived in London for a few weeks. This reduced wages by around 10%.
Presenter: Are we going to see any benefits from AI technology in the working world though?
Michelle: Well, of course, technology itself does create new jobs. Around 60% of workers currently do jobs that did not exist in 1940 and even those that did, many of them have been altered by it. Think of how teachers teach now compared to how they did twenty or even ten years ago. There’s also the predicted impact on the global economy. It is thought AI will increase the value of goods and services we produce by 7%. We can also see it helping poorer countries who have fewer resources, for example in healthcare. Doctors and nurses will be able to use AI to be more productive and a lot of official tasks, such as filling out forms, claims and general paperwork can be automated.
Presenter: What advice would you give to those who are worried about losing their jobs to AI?
Michelle: We are usually scared of what we don’t understand. It’s better to use it as an opportunity to learn and see how you can use AI to help you, rather than just worry about it. Those who will adapt to the new world of work will be those who can use AI to get more done and to help others.
Presenter: Thanks so much for coming in and talking to us today, Michelle. And now we’re going to take a look at… (fading)

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/business-english/losing-jobs-to-ai. Accessed on October 27, 2023. © 2008–2023 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.