Why read this: This short text introduces a big idea from today's news. AI companies say their tools are dangerous, but they keep selling them. The reading helps students notice when words and actions do not match.
What to notice: Look for the main claim in the first paragraph. Then find one expert's view in the fourth paragraph. Notice which sentences are facts about companies and which sentences give an opinion about why they act this way.
Skills practised: Students practise finding the main idea in a short article. They practise picking out supporting evidence, like names and quotes. They also practise telling a company's view apart from a critic's view.
AI companies say their tools are scary, but they still sell them
Why do AI makers warn us about their own products?
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
AI companies build very powerful AI tools. They say these tools are so strong that they could harm the world. They warn us that AI could even destroy people one day. But here is the strange part. The same companies keep selling these tools to everyone, every day.
One AI company is called Anthropic. It made a new AI tool named Claude Mythos. Anthropic says Mythos can find weak spots in computers better than top experts. The company warns that this power could be very dangerous . Even so, Anthropic still uses the tool and shares it with partners.
Another big AI company is OpenAI. Its leader, Sam Altman, has often spoken about danger too. In 2015, he said AI could lead to the end of the world. Later, he said he loses sleep at night because he worries about ChatGPT. Still, OpenAI keeps making bigger and stronger AI tools each year.
Some experts think this is a clever trick. Shannon Vallor is a professor in Scotland who studies AI. She says these companies want people to feel small and afraid. When we feel afraid, we believe only the AI companies can keep us safe. Some experts call this . This kind of talk can push the price of the company up and stop new safety rules.
So what should you think about all this? Listen to what AI companies say about danger. Then ask one simple question. If a tool is so dangerous, why do they keep selling it? Their loud warnings and their quiet sales tell two very different stories.
AI companies build very powerful AI tools. They say these tools are so strong that they could harm the world. They warn us that AI could even destroy people one day. But here is the strange part. The same companies keep selling these tools to everyone, every day.
One AI company is called Anthropic. It made a new AI tool named Claude Mythos. Anthropic says Mythos can find weak spots in computers better than top experts. The company warns that this power could be very dangerous . Even so, Anthropic still uses the tool and shares it with partners.
Another big AI company is OpenAI. Its leader, Sam Altman, has often spoken about danger too. In 2015, he said AI could lead to the end of the world. Later, he said he loses sleep at night because he worries about ChatGPT. Still, OpenAI keeps making bigger and stronger AI tools each year.
Some experts think this is a clever trick. Shannon Vallor is a professor in Scotland who studies AI. She says these companies want people to feel small and afraid. When we feel afraid, we believe only the AI companies can keep us safe. Some experts call this . This kind of talk can push the price of the company up and stop new safety rules.
So what should you think about all this? Listen to what AI companies say about danger. Then ask one simple question. If a tool is so dangerous, why do they keep selling it? Their loud warnings and their quiet sales tell two very different stories.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What is the strange part the article points out about AI companies?
- 02
What does Anthropic say about its new tool, Claude Mythos?
- 03
Why does Shannon Vallor say AI companies talk about danger?
- 04
Describe the main claim of this article in your own words.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three things AI companies do that the article finds strange or worrying.
Suggested length: ~50 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
What is the strange part the article points out about AI companies?
- 02
What does Anthropic say about its new tool, Claude Mythos?
- 03
Why does Shannon Vallor say AI companies talk about danger?
- 04
Describe the main claim of this article in your own words.
Suggested length: ~50 words
- 05
List three things AI companies do that the article finds strange or worrying.
Suggested length: ~50 words