雅思词汇课文（19）· AI and Privacy 人工智能与隐私
科技与伦理主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。
🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）
📖 课文 Text
AI and Privacy
Every time we ask a voice assistant a question, unlock our phone with our face, or receive a personalised advertisement, we are feeding data to artificial intelligence. Modern AI systems learn by analysing vast quantities of information. The more data they consume, the better they become. But this hunger for data has raised serious questions about personal privacy.
The European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), introduced in 2018, was the first major attempt to regulate this trade. It gives individuals the right to know what data companies hold about them, to correct inaccuracies, and in some cases to demand deletion. Fines for violations can reach four per cent of global revenue. Other countries, from Brazil to India, have passed similar laws.
Yet enforcement remains patchy. Many people click "agree" to terms and conditions without reading them, effectively surrendering their privacy in exchange for a free service. Facial recognition technology deployed in airports, streets and shops is rarely subject to public debate. Police forces increasingly use predictive algorithms that analyse location data and social media activity to identify potential offenders.
Critics argue that the real danger is not individual misuse but surveillance at scale. Governments with authoritarian tendencies can monitor citizens' movements, associations and communications in real time. Even in democracies, the combination of data from employers, banks, shops and online platforms creates a detailed profile of nearly every aspect of a person's life.
Supporters of AI argue that privacy is not an absolute right. Personalised services, medical diagnostics and fraud detection all depend on large-scale data processing. The challenge, they say, is not to ban AI but to ensure transparency, accountability and meaningful consent.
Finding the balance between innovation and privacy will be one of the defining political struggles of the next decade.
📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions
| Word | 音标 | 词性 | 中文 | 课文例句 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| privacy | /ˈprɪvəsi/ | n. | 隐私 | personal privacy |
| voice assistant | /vɔɪs əˈsɪstənt/ | n. | 语音助手 | a voice assistant |
| personalised | /ˈpɜːsənəlaɪzd/ | adj. | 个性化的 | personalised advertisement |
| vast | /vɑːst/ | adj. | 巨大的 | vast quantities |
| regulate | /ˈreɡjuleɪt/ | v. | 监管 | regulate this trade |
| violation | /ˌvaɪəˈleɪʃn/ | n. | 违反、违规 | violations |
| revenue | /ˈrevənjuː/ | n. | 收入、营收 | global revenue |
| enforcement | /ɪnˈfɔːsmənt/ | n. | 执行、执法 | enforcement |
| patchy | /ˈpætʃi/ | adj. | 不完整的、参差不齐的 | patchy |
| surrender | /səˈrendə/ | v. | 交出、放弃 | surrendering |
| facial recognition | /ˈfeɪʃl ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃn/ | n. | 人脸识别 | Facial recognition |
| deploy | /dɪˈplɔɪ/ | v. | 部署、应用 | deployed in airports |
| algorithm | /ˈælɡərɪðəm/ | n. | 算法 | predictive algorithms |
| location | /ləʊˈkeɪʃn/ | n. | 位置 | location data |
| offender | /əˈfendə/ | n. | 罪犯 | potential offenders |
| misuse | /ˌmɪsˈjuːz/ | n. | 滥用 | individual misuse |
| surveillance | /səˈveɪləns/ | n. | 监控 | surveillance at scale |
| authoritarian | /ɔːˌθɒrɪˈteəriən/ | adj. | 专制的 | authoritarian tendencies |
| monitor | /ˈmɒnɪtə/ | v. | 监控 | monitor citizens |
| democracy | /dɪˈmɒkrəsi/ | n. | 民主 | even in democracies |
| profile | /ˈprəʊfaɪl/ | n. | 画像、档案 | detailed profile |
| absolute | /ˈæbsəluːt/ | adj. | 绝对的 | not an absolute right |
| diagnostic | /ˌdaɪəɡˈnɒstɪk/ | n. | 诊断 | medical diagnostics |
| fraud | /frɔːd/ | n. | 欺诈 | fraud detection |
| transparency | /trænsˈpærənsi/ | n. | 透明度 | ensure transparency |
| accountability | /əˌkaʊntəˈbɪləti/ | n. | 问责 | accountability |
| consent | /kənˈsent/ | n. | 同意 | meaningful consent |
| innovation | /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃn/ | n. | 创新 | innovation |
| defining | /dɪˈfaɪnɪŋ/ | adj. | 决定性的、典型的 | defining struggle |
| struggle | /ˈstrʌɡl/ | n. | 斗争 | political struggle |
🧠 课文理解 Comprehension
1. GDPR was designed to...
- A. promote AI research
- B. regulate how companies handle personal data
- C. ban facial recognition
- D. tax technology companies
2. Fines for GDPR violations can reach...
- A. 1 per cent of global revenue
- B. 4 per cent of global revenue
- C. 10 per cent of global revenue
- D. no fines at all
3. Why do many people effectively give up their privacy?
- A. they are forced by law
- B. they click "agree" to terms without reading them
- C. they don't have digital services
- D. privacy doesn't matter
4. Critics are most worried about...
- A. individual hackers stealing data
- B. surveillance at scale by governments and companies
- C. AI making mistakes
- D. too few regulations
5. Supporters of AI argue that...
- A. privacy should be abolished
- B. personalised services and diagnostics depend on data processing
- C. AI is always harmful
- D. companies should own all data
✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.
| regulate / violation / deploy / algorithm / surveillance / transparency / consent / innovation |
- The government plans to ______ the use of drones in urban areas.
- Speeding is a clear ______ of traffic law.
- The army decided to ______ new troops along the border.
- The recommendation ______ suggests books based on your previous purchases.
- The police installed ______ cameras at every intersection.
- Companies must operate with greater ______ in their dealings with customers.
- The patient signed a ______ form before the operation.
- Technological ______ has transformed the way we communicate.
✅ 答案 Answers
Comprehension
- B 2. B 3. B 4. B 5. B
Vocabulary
- regulate 2. violation 3. deploy 4. algorithm 5. surveillance 6. transparency 7. consent 8. innovation
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