TikTok, AI and other security threats to the EU

 

The geopolitical tensions in the world are making the European Union think twice about the communication apps that are safe, and those that could be manipulated by foreign powers to eavesdrop on politicians' and high-profile officials' sensitive information, Cynthia Kroet & Romane Armangau report in the Euronews article "From TikTok to AI: What the EU now calls a security threat". 

The article is not difficult to read, but many students will not be so familiar with the topic and with the range of vocabulary, particularly the synonyms it displays, so it is recommended for C1 students, who can pick up expressions like: a burner phone, to ban, stripped-down [laptops], surveillance, to black-list, an [EU] agency, the budgetary watchdog, to gather [data], [to deny] these claims, to compel, alleged, to muddle, to launch [an investigation], to breach [a law], to come under fire, to curb [offences], fraud, promotion of terrorism, [to have] leverage, to hold the keys, encryption, [to impose]   restrictions, disinformation, so-called, to be [AI Act] compliant, to decline [to comment], to be charged, a [corruption] probe, to bribe, a backdoor, critical [infrastructure], build-out, to crop up, ongoing [doubts], to be in line with [regulations], to advise against [using], to comply with [the law], [to flee] fled, [fled], dissatisfied, unchecked, a conspiracy theory, hate speech, to quit, [to find yourself] in hot water, to uncover, a [major security] breach, to track [the movements], a high-profile [official], to deploy.

If you want to learn more about hackers and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, you can watch this long BBC News programme, AI Decoded (20':57") which was published 9 months ago, where some experts discuss AI threats to critical national infrastructure, disinformation and deep fakes. This video can be recommended for C2 students, experts and teachers:

AI's potential Threats (to Privacy, U.S. National Security, Elections & Equality)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the buzz word at the turn of this new year. Everybody is exploring the opportunities that the hottest apps, namely Chat GPT, Bing or Bard, offer to improve performance in their jobs. In the previous post, we learnt that the major consumer electronics companies presented an array of AI powered appliances at CES 2024 Las Vegas. In this post we are going to look at some of the concerns that AI is raising in a number of areas, from espionage to personal freedom. 

Lesson plan tip: these interviews and articles can be used as background information for a "flipped-classroom" homework task: each student chooses one story and listens to it during the weekend. Then, on Monday, students share a short oral summary of the interview in small groups of up to 4 students and they talk about some of the key words they have learnt. After that, they can discuss the opportunities and the threats that AI offers, for example with the "For & Against" list published by Phoebe Reynolds in English Teachers Around the World (Facebook). It is a simple, but challenging information gap activity to practice authentic listening/ reading, speaking, summarizing, debating and to activate passive vocabulary. 

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If you are interested in face-recognition technology, you can start by reading the Digital Trends article Clear View AI's facial-recognition app is a nightmare for stalking victims about Clear View, an app that can identify an individual with minimal information, and it is widely used by government and law-enforcement agencies to search for criminals. But the power of Clear View can be used for the wrong purposes in the hands of authoritarian governments or wrongdoers, as you can learn if you listen to Fresh Air's interview to New York Times reporter Kashmir Hill, Inside the Secretive AI Company that Knows your Face. C1 students can read the Digital Trends text first to build up background information and they will find interesting words like: to stalk, hubris, a startup, to snap [a photo], a creep, a boon, a stalker, a nefarious [purpose], a statement, to monetize, to scrape [information], to track [somebody] down, to harass, a flaw, a stark [increase], an ongoing [problem], disruptive [tech], to launch, [sexual] assault, to misuse, to rape). The 42 minute NPR interview with a script is recommended for C2 students who will encounter interesting words like: to unlock [a phone], to scrape [photos], to log into [an app], a beat (area), a [tech] dystopia, Planned Parenthood, to harass, creepy, to wield, chilling, to name and shame, a restroom, to blend in [with the population], a corpse, [to turn the] tide, the toll, an outlet, bodybuilding, workout, a counter, the breadcrumb, state-of-the-art [technology], to be pulled over [by the police], a warrant, larceny, bewildered, a gang, a consignment store, [surveillance] footage, a bunch of [photos], [the charges (law)] to be dropped, shoplifting, [to be in the] lineup, faulty, wrongfully [arrested], [a technological] breakthrough, to rig up, the brim [of a baseball cap], countless [photos], a building block, a cease-and-desist [letter], a whim, to harness [the benefits], to track [someone], to harvest, a seasoned [consultant], a vintage [store], a dive bar, astounding, buggy, to pitch [this technology], a venue, to sue, to hang out with [artists], to shift, to be anointed [the candidate], nefarious [purposes], a fine-tuned [technology], a rioter, to storm [the Capitol], the blowback, to let the cat out of the bag. 

AI tools have long been utilized in cyberwar and espionage. In How AI is Transforming National Security,  Mary Louise Kelly interviews FBI Director Chris Wray and U.S. National Security Agency Director, Paul Nakasone for NPR's Consider This Podcast. The segment lasts 11 minutes and has a script, so, it can be easily accessible to C1 students and above. You will come across interesting words like: a thriller, sneaker, [under] siege, to hack into [computers], to compromise [data], a go-to [tool], devastating [consequences], to ponder, on the flip side, cyber snooping, a formidable [adversary], ransomware, penchant, overreach, what makes [it] tick, a stride.

If you want further information about the race and gender bias of facial recognition tech, you can listen to the Fresh Air interview  Unmasking AI's racism and sexism where the computer scientist and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, Joy Buolamwini, explains the inbuilt biasses of AI's algorithms.  This is a long, 37 minute interview with a script, so it can be recommended for C2 students, where they will find interesting words like: the male gaze, the coded gaze, to coin [a term], grad school, a glitch, [to issue] an executive order, a landmark [executive order], to endow, fanciful, to debug, to bake in [priorities], messiness, mahogany, a windfall, to floor, a nuance, a slew [of letters], overreliance, to misgender, a benchmark, to take steps, to regulate, a class-action lawsuit, an opt-in [program], to opt-out, groundbreaking [technology], to label, to speak up, a burden, to come off [like an angry black woman], a gimmick, a stake, a gasp, to dip my toe into[something], a hoax, a fraudster, a fallback, a high-paying [job], a low-paying [job], an inmate.

If you want to know how AI tools can be used in modern political campaigns, including deepfake videos, you can listen to AI's Influence on Election 2024  where radio host Meghna Chakrabarti has a conversation with several experts, including Darrell West, author of the book How AI Will Transform the 2024 Elections, for her WBUR (Boston) programme On Point. This 47 minute radio show is fast and very complex audio, due to the references to domestic American politics, and because it deals with several topics in a row, which limits the help that a single context can offer to learners of English, so, although there is a script, it is recommended for teachers and Experts (Ex), above C2 level.  Some key words you will find are: a bill, sparsely, a giveaway, a deepfake [video], a disclaimer, malarkey, heck, to utter [a word], to wreak havoc, a bribe, [highly] polarized, to endorse [a candidate], tinny, shady, a caretaker, to curb [the use of harmful AI content], grass roots [level], a deterrent, a loophole, the boogeyman, to pass the legal muster, to reach out [to voters], to level the playing field, to cast [a vote], to crack down on [misinformation], a purveyor [of this information], wary, to flag [instances of virality], a circuit breaker, mainstream, to open the floodgates, to triple check [information].

Londongrad: How the British Money Laundering Machine Works

Journalist Oliver Bullough has recently published the book "Butler to the World" where he describes how the City of London has become a safe laundering machine for the Russian oligarchs, who stash their fortunes in "Londongrad" with the help of bankers, lawyers, accountants and public relations managers and with the complacency of the British "hilariously under-funded" law-enforcement agencies. In this 44-minute "Fresh Air" interview, Terry Gross discusses with Mr Bullough the ins and outs of the banking and legal system that allows the so-called Russian "kleptocrats" to enjoy a luxury life in the financial heart of Europe. 

Although the interview can be followed with a full script, the description the financial and legal procedures to protect the oligarchs' dodgy business transactions from public scrutiny, will raise the level of this task to C2. An "extended listening" exercise can be set for homework with a simple speaking mini-task that can be found on this link.

In the interview you will come across interesting words like: accountant, kleptocrats, oligarchs, to launder money, to stash [money], ill-gotten [gains], layers of shell companies, to come down to [a pretty basic calculation], chunks, high-end [property], a [giant] safety deposit box, a looting [machine], to dip into, an incredibly tightly controlled dictatorial kleptocratic system, to wage war, the purse strings, the checks and balances, penalties, a state-run business, a knockdown price, to undervalue, to speak out against [Putin], an asset, to stand up to [Putin], unwise, real estate, [to have money] offshore, saving money for the rainy day, to put [money] aside, a current account, a deposit account, to step up, to look hard enough, courtiers, an [information] leak, astonishingly [wealthy], to call on [the wealth of the oligarchs], to scramble around for [funds], [skilled sanction] busters, [Iran has been] tapped, tough [sanctions], severe [sanctions], to circumvent [the sanctions], to end up with, to be reckoned, the sheer [volume], to upend [this calculation], bling, the law-enforcement [system], [shell companies] and trusts, [Putin's] enablers, to poison, to bring legal proceedings [against journalists], to cut [them] off [from the system], to whack-a-mole [individual enablers], to name and shame, to freeze [their wealth, their assets], to seize [money, wealth], to confiscate [money], to be heartened, embargo, boycott [of Russian oil], a [huge] hardship [for their economy], a [real] game changer, revenue stream, to undermine, to rely on [oil for their wealth], budget, to trace back [to 1956], disruptive, a [real] nadir [of British influence], [death] throes, [heavily] indebted, the legacy, [a huge] overhang [of debt], to stand its ground, to stagger along [in a very] diminished way, to thrash around, regulations, to open a hole in the global financial architecture, scrutiny-free, to bypass the onerous system, to single out [an individual oligarch], to sue [journalists who look into the wealth], to repurpose, at the forefront [of my mind], [really] niche, to abide by [certain regulations], [very] perilous, libel laws, to defame [someone], guilty, defamation, data protection grounds, to be on the hook [for millions of dollars worth of costs], to settle [cases against oligarchs], colossal [costs], to face up against [oligarchs], [the costs are] peanuts, vexatious [lawsuits], scary, a chilling [effect], to shut up, to pick [a fight], the cutting room floor, to be hacked, to warn me off, to tarnish [the oligarch's] reputation, a [fairly]-well trodden path, a philanthropist, a high-profile [oligarch], litigious [reputations], risk averse, to shield [oligarchs], to bolster [the system], the feds, dodgy [business], [hilariously] underfunded, to crack down on [dodgy practices], to be outmuscled [by the oligarchs], a scanty measure, offshore shell companies, gimmicky [measures]. 

The War in Ukraine

The invasion of Ukraine has lasted for over a month now. On March 2, the BBC reported on the ongoing battles for Kharkiv, Kherson and Kyiv: the chaos, the rubble, the dispair of peaceful Ukrainians in the bomb shelters, the tears of refugee families parting into exile...  This distressing report, which is introduced by Clive Myrie, an experienced BBC foreign correspondent and TV presenter, is suitable for B2 students and above.  

You will come across interesting expressions like: "in broad daylight, to leave a trail of destruction, the aftermath of a deadly missile attack, the target [is] an airbase, in the rubble, to keep myself together, shooting, to have captured, sirens wail, [deserted streets] echo fear and dread, [the children made] pistols [to kill the enemy], as war closes in, to put on a brave face in, the national anthem, hit by sustained rocket fire, airborne troops, [planes] shot down, distressing images, [calm] in the wreckage [of people's homes], to hide in basements and bunkers, made a dash, to make it onto a train, to go back and forth, to refuse to be cowed, shoving forward, chaos, desperate to get on board, to swear at [all those who have caused the suffering], to flee abroad, to break down".

In the next BBC News report (29/03/22), Iryna Babich, a refugee English teacher,  explains how she has found peace of mind in a Romanian monastery "Only here, at the monastery, I stopped hating.  Last Sunday, I even prayed for Putin", Iryna says while she sadly misses her husband who is delivering fuel back in the besieged city of Kharkiv. This short interview can be followed by B1 students and above and you will find expressions like: "a place of retreat, prayer, meditation, my [lovely] van, just to smell [my husband, my house], stayed behind [...] delivering fuel, [a city] under Russian siege, [they can stay] as long as they wish, [I wished Putin] to become wiser, to feel sympathy to Russian troops, sunflowers in the yard, to breathe [this beautiful mountain air], they fled Ukraine, they might be home by Easter, their best hope is by summer".

Marina Ovsyannikova Interrogated for 14 Hours

Russian Journalist Marina Ovsyannikova has been released after being interrogated for 14 hours without a lawyer, for two consecutive sleepless nights, and after paying a fine of €250.  She was detained for disrupting a major Russian TV news programme with a placard that read "Stop the war, don't believe the propaganda, they're lying to you", BBC News reports.

Previously, she had recorded a video with a statement explaining her protest, which can be seen below, thanks to The Guardian.

Some interesting words you can find in this story are: to be fined, to be released, a live TV news programme, the set, to plead not guilty, a charge, to call on [the Russian people] to protest, to be prosecuted, to ban, the court hearing, to be denied access [to a lawyer], to stress, to come up with an idea, the courthouse, her whereabouts, the placard, to be ashamed, the television screen, this inhumane regime, a blog run by former BBC journalist, to praise her for telling the truth, to launch an effort, hooliganism. This text is suitable for B2 students.

Fake News, Conspiracy Theories and InfoWars

Fake news and disinformation campaigns have been the focus of media attention in the USA since the 2016 Trump-Clinton presidential campaign.  In this interview a New York Times reporter, Adam B. Ellick talks about the use Vladimir Putin has made of disinformation campaigns, quoting the AIDS conspiracy theory in the 1980's, or the campaign against himself after publishing the story of the Pakistani girl education campaigner, Malala Yousafzai. He also discusses with Terry Gross President Trump's discredit of American media and the current division in American politics and society. Level: C2

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Adam B. Ellick is the Director and Producer of Opinion Video at the New York Times.  He has won Pulizer and Emmy News Video prizes for his work as a video journalist. You can watch the Opinion Video page of the New York Times here: The Seven Commandments of Fake News or The Worldwide War on Truth. The videos cover very similar content to the radio interview, but they do not have subtitles, so they may be more difficult to understand than the radio interview (with script) above.