专题04 人与社会（科技前沿）时文阅读与题型训练（专项训练）（教师版）.docxVIP

专题04人与社会（科技前沿）时文阅读与题型训练

时文阅读

时文阅读

语篇原文

Newtechnologybringswithitboththesweethopeofgreaterprosperityandthecruelfearofmissingout.SatyaNadella,thebossofMicrosoft,saysheishauntedbythefactthattheIndustrialRevolutionleftbehindIndia,hiscountryofbirth.(Indianmanufacturershardlyenjoyedalevelplaying-field—Britainwasthenboththeirrivalandtheirruler.)

Manytechnologies,suchasonline-educationcourses,havegeneratedmorehypethaneconomicgrowthintheemergingworld.Somepeopleworrythatgenerative-artificialintelligence(AI),too,willdisappointtheglobalsouth.

ThebigwinnerssofarseemtobeabunchofWesternearlyadopters,aswellasstartupsinSanFranciscoandAmerica’s“magnificentseven”techfirms,whichincludeMicrosoftandhavetogetheraddedanastonishing$4.6trntotheirmarketvaluesinceChatGPT’slaunchinNovember2022.

YetAIstandstotransformlivesintheemergingworld,too.Asitspreads,thetechnologycouldraiseproductivityandshrinkgapsinhumancapitalfasterthanmanybeforeit.PeopleindevelopingcountriesneednotbepassiverecipientsofAI,butcanshapeittosuittheirownneeds.Mostexcitingofall,itcouldhelpincomelevelscatchupwiththoseintherichworld.

ThepromiseofAIindevelopingcountriesistantalizing.AsintheWest,itwillbeausefulall-purposetoolforconsumersandworkers,makingiteasiertoobtainandinterpretinformation.Somejobswillgo,butnewoneswillbecreated.

Becauseemergingcountrieshavefewerwhite-collarworkers,thedisruptionandthegaintoexistingfirmsmaybesmallerthanintheWest.TheIMFsaysthatafifthtoaquarterofworkerstherearemostexposedtoreplacement,comparedwithathirdinrichcountries.

Butapotentiallytransformativebenefitmaycomefrombetterandmoreaccessiblepublicservices.Developingeconomieshavelongbeenheldbackbyalackofeducated,healthyworkers.Primary-schoolte