A new wave of startups are using deep learning to build synthetic (合成的) voice actors for digital assistants, video-game characters, and corporate videos. Each one is based on a real voice actor, whose likeness has been preserved using AI. Companies can now license these voices to say whatever they need. They simply feed some text into the voice engine, and out will generate an audio clip of a natural-sounding performance.
Not too long ago, such deepfake voices had something of a bad reputation for their use in internet trickery. But their improving quality has since aroused the interest of a growing number of companies. Recent breakthroughs in deep learning have made it possible to replicate (仿制) many of the subtleties (细微差别) of human speech. These voices pause and breathe in all the right places. They can change their style or emotion. AI voices are also cheap and easy to work with. Unlike a recording of a human voice actor, synthetic voices can update their script (剧本) in real time. Some Al firms can now handle the voices for adapting ads depending on who is listening, changing not just the accent of the voice but also the words being spoken.
But there are limitations to how far AI can go. It’s still difficult to maintain the realism of a voice over long stretches of time that might be required for an audio book. And there’s little ability to control an AI voice’ s performance in the same way a director can guide a human performer. Expressive, creative and long-form projects are still best done by humans.
According to Rupal Patel, a professor at Northeastern University, the point of AI voices is ultimately not to replace existing audio work. The promise of AI voices is that they could open up entirely new possibilities.
1. What plays a key role in the improvement of synthetic voices?| A．Licensing real voices. |
| B．Breakthroughs in deep learning. |
| C．Feeding texts into the voice engine. |
| D．Preserving the likeness of a real voice. |
| A．Cheap and limitless. |
| B．Creative and irreplaceable. |
| C．Portable and ready to update. |
| D．Adaptable and easy to operate. |
| A．A TV talk show. |
| B．Audio navigation. |
| C．Harry Potter audio books. |
| D．A live football match broadcast. |
| A．AI Voices Sound More Human Than Ever |
| B．AI Voices Will Soon Replace Human Voices |
| C．There Is Still a Long Way to Go for AI Voices |
| D．Advances in AI Voices Will Prevent Internet Trickery |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】From sleep machines to AI-controlled house cleaning robots, a wide variety of cutting-edge technologies and products are being exhibited at the 4th China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. Here are some products you don’t want to miss.
Electric bicycle Brina 2
For many people, a daily commute (通勤) is often a source of headaches. Emov Inc., an exhibitor from Argentina, has presented electric bicycle Brina 2 as a solution.Running on long-range batteries, the e-bike has a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour. Almost all the components are designed within the carbon fiber frame. Its scientific design makes the ride more stable and comfortable than other conventional e-bikes.
AI robot — a right-hand assistant for life and production
The AI robot from Agile Robots AG, a leading intelligent robotics company from Germany, helps make life and work easier. With the ability to synthesize (综合) and adjust motion tracks in real time, the robot is a great assistant. For instance, it can aid humans in tasks like loading and unloading, polishing and quality inspection.
Power-PRO XT — a reliable stretcher bed
Power-PRO XT is an electric ambulance stretcher bed designed by Stryker Corporation from the U.S. Compared with traditional stretchers, Power-PRO XT is driven by a high-speed motor that enables it to easily lift or lower a load weighing 318 kilograms within 2.4 seconds. More importantly, it can smoothly and safely lift and move, providing greater safety for patients.
Sleeping cabin — a night guard for sound sleep
A recent study found that more than two-thirds of surveyed university students in Brazil are experiencing poor sleep quality. The sleeping cabin made by the Dow Chemical Company from the U.S.can provide its users with a better sleep. As a combination of great material and technology, the cabin can provide customers with a deeper and more refreshing sleeping experience.
1. Which product most probably interests a factory manager?| A．Electric bicycle Brina 2. | B．AI robot. | C．Power-PRO XT. | D．Sleeping cabin. |
| A．First aid. | B．Quality control. | C．Traveling to work. | D．Sleep improvement. |
| A．Eco-friendly. | B．Advanced. | C．Cost-effective. | D．Multifunctional. |
【推荐2】A race is on in solar engineering to create almost impossibly-thin, flexible solar panels. Stanford University researchers announced they have achieved record efficiencies in a promising class of new materials—which can be thinner than a piece of paper.
According to the study published in the journal Nature Communications, it uses a new material called “transition metal dichalcogenides” (TMDs). They absorb incredibly high volumes of sunlight that reach their surface compared to other solar materials.
“Imagine an autonomous drone (无人机) that powers itself with a solar panel atop its wing that is less than six micrometers thick.” said Koosha Nassiri Nazif, co-lead author of the study.
Slimming down is necessary because the king of solar materials, silicon, is much too heavy, large and rigid for applications where flexibility, lightweight and high power are important and excellent.
While TMDs hold great promise, research experiments to date have struggled to change more than 2% of the sunlight they absorb into electricity. But the scientists believe they could practically reach 27% efficiency with electrical improvements. That would be comparable with today’s top solar panels, silicon included.
Nazif told Forbes that the new materials are great candidates for next-generation electronics and solar cells. Chipmakers like Intel and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company are already considering TMDs for their future technology. They could be used in a variety of mobile applications, including self-powered wearable devices and sensors, as well as giving a boost to lightweight airplanes and electric cars.
The ultra-thinness does come with engineering challenges, primarily in mass production. When transferring such a layer of TMD to a flexible, supporting material, the TMD layer is frequently damaged.
But the team thinks it is possible to overcome these challenges. Should they succeed, it could change solar power as we know it. “Silicon makes up 95 percent of the solar market today.” Nazif told Forbes. “This is why we aren’t seeing these applications for solar cells today; TMDs are going to change the landscape.”
1. What is the biggest advantage of TMDs now?| A．They have the quality of remarkable thinness. |
| B．They can efficiently turn sunlight into energy. |
| C．They are comparable to top silicon panels. |
| D．They have excellent ability to reflect sunlight. |
| A．The appeal of TMDs to chipmakers. | B．The expectation for future tech. |
| C．The wide applications of solar energy. | D．The future prospects of TMDs. |
| A．They could power all mobile devices. | B．They could be a competitive alternative. |
| C．They will revolutionize the energy market. | D．They will be produced on a large scale soon. |
| A．Most Efficient Solar Panels Have Hit the Market. |
| B．Stanford Scientists Develop a New Green Material. |
| C．TMDs Could Be Used for Lightweight Solar Panels. |
| D．Challenges Are to Be Overcome to Promote TMDs. |
【推荐3】Like most people living in the suburb, Janice Monkowski, who lives some 30 miles east of San Francisco, gets around mainly by car. For much of her life, public transportation was not even an afterthought. That changed recently when Monkowski, a self-described technophobe (技术恐惧者), discovered Moovit. When she goes to San Francisco to meet friends, the smart-phone app let her plan bus and train trips down to the minute. “Moovit tells me where to walk and how long it might take to catch a bus to get to the train station,” Monkowski says.
Much like the navigation app Waze, which follows its users on the road to determine the best driving routes. Moovit collects location data of nearby users to show how to travel along the way with less time and energy between two locations. Nir Erez who cofounded Moovit says, “Most commuters (每天长途上班的人)don’t know when a bus might arrive, let alone how it might connect with another transit service, or when walking or bicycling might be faster.”
In just several years Moovit has had 100 million users. Moovit is available in 44 languages and 82 countries, and commuters in more than 2,500 cities rely on it to get to and from work. In 2016 Moovit became the official transit app for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, Moovit was also chosen as the official mobility app of the Asian Games. When public transit doesn’t get a user all the way to where they want to go, Moovit may connect her to bike-share programs or services like Uber.
As Moovit has grown to 100 employees, with headquarters (总部)near Tel Aviv and offices in big cities such as San Francisco, Athens and Rio, Moovit can provide better, more up-to-date information at a lower cost. Best of all: It’s all built one data point at a time by people like Monkowski. When you go to San Francisco and don’t want to drive before the city’s “terrible” parking and traffic, Moovit can give you another option. It’s very simple.
1. How does Moovit help Janice Monkowski ?| A．By helping her have a comfortable trip. |
| B．By helping her learn advanced technology. |
| C．By helping her balance her tight travel budget. |
| D．By helping her arrive at where she wants to go. |
| A．It provides more good services. | B．It involves more simple orders. |
| C．It predicts the most efficient trip. | D．It stores more available information. |
| A．The exact location of Moovit. | B．The bright future of Moovit. |
| C．The development of big cities. | D．Some special opinions on public transportation. |
| A．The wide use of Moovit | B．The unique development of Moovit |
| C．The historical development of Moovit | D．The obvious advantage of Moovit |
【推荐1】Babies are surrounded by human language, always listening and processing. Eventually, they put sounds together to produce a “Daddy” or a “Mama”. But what still confuses neuroscientists is exactly how the brain works to put it all together.
To figure it out, a team of researchers turned to a frequent stand-in (代替) for babies when it comes to language learning: the song-learning zebra finch. “We’ve known songbirds learn their song by first forming a memory of their father’s song or another adult’s song. Then they use that memory to guide their song learning,” said Neuroscientist Todd Roberts. “It’s been a long-term goal of the field to figure out how or where in the brain this memory is. This type of imitative learning that birds do is very similar to the type of learning that we engage in regularly—particularly when we’re young, we use it to guide our speech learning.”
Robert s and his team had a feeling that the interface (交叉区域) between sensory areas and motor areas in the brain was critical for this process, and they focused on a group of brain cells called the NIf.
“In order to prove that we could identify these circuits, we thought if we could implant a false memory.” First, they used a virus to cause the neurons (神经元) in the birds’ NIf to become sensitive to light. Then, using a tiny electrode (电极) as a flashlight, they activated (激活) the neurons. The length of each pulse of light corresponded with the amount of time the neurons would fire. And the birds’ brains interpreted that time period as the length of each note.
Soon enough, the birds began to practice the notes they had learned, even though they never really heard the sounds. Amazingly, the birds produced them in the correct social situations. The researchers say this is the first time anybody has found exactly a part of the brain necessary for generating the sorts of memories needed to copy sounds.
“This line of research is going to help us identify where in the brain we encode memories of relevant social experiences that we use to guide learning. We know that there are several neurodevelopmental disorders in people that have really far-reaching effects on this type of learning.”
1. The zebra finch is researched because its song-learning mode ______.| A．decides whether it will sing songs | B．helps it to say “Daddy” or “Mama” |
| C．is like the way babies learn speech | D．reflects its talent for imitating its father’s song |
| A．The interface in the brain. | B．Guidance from adults. |
| C．The way of regular learning. | D．Imitative learning type like birds. |
| A．Some neurons were activated by the use of an electrode. |
| B．A new memory was implanted to generate new neurons. |
| C．A bird sang what it had heard before. |
| D．Birds became sensitive to light due to new social situations. |
| A．A change in our way of listenıng and processing. |
| B．Identification of neurodevelopmental disorders. |
| C．A chance to learn better with relevant social experiences. |
| D．A better knowledge of the secrets of learning. |
【推荐2】Culture is one of the most challenging elements of the international marketplace. This system of learned behavior patterns characteristic of the members of a given society is constantly shaped by a set of dynamic variables: language, religion, values and attitudes, manners and customs, aesthetics, technology, education, and social institutions. To cope with this system, an international manager needs both factual and interpretive knowledge of culture. To some extent, the factual knowledge can be learned; its interpretation comes only through experience.
The most complicated problems in dealing with the cultural environment lie in the fact that one cannot learn culture — one has to live in it. Two schools of thought exist in the business world on how to deal with cultural diversity. One is that business is business the world around, following the model of Pepsi and McDonald’s. In some cases, globalization is a fact of life; however, cultural differences are still far from converging (会合). The other school proposes that companies must adapt business approaches to individual cultures. Setting up policies and procedures in each country has been compared to an organ transplant; the critical question centers around acceptance or rejection. The major challenge to the international manager is to make sure that rejection is not a result of cultural myopia (近视) or even blindness.
Fortune examined the international performance of a dozen large companies that earn 20 percent or more of their revenue overseas. The internationally successful companies all share an important quality: patience. They have not rushed into situations but rather built their operations carefully by following the most basic business principles. These principles are to know your adversary (对手); know your audience; and know your customer.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?| A．Views differ on how to treat culture in business world. |
| B．All international managers can learn culture. |
| C．Business diversity is not necessary. |
| D．Most people do not know foreign culture well. |
| A．is different from the model of McDonald’s |
| B．shows the reverse of globalization |
| C．has converged cultural differences |
| D．is in line with the theories that business is business the world around |
| A．both propose that companies should adapt business approaches to individual cultures |
| B．both advocate that different policies be set up in different countries |
| C．both admit the existence of cultural diversity in business world |
| D．both A and B |
| A．who are interested in researching the topic of cultural diversity |
| B．who have connections to more than one type of culture |
| C．who want to run business on international scale |
| D．who want to travel abroad |
【推荐3】A new UK-based study on the effects of artificial light on local insect populations found that light pollution from street lamps disturbs insect behavior, leading to an overall loss of insects.
“We found that street lighting strongly reduced moth (飞蛾) population compared with unlit sites... and affected moth development,” the study stated.
The study’s results apply to a localized level and cannot be used to determine whether national-level populations are declining due to light pollution. However, it adds further weight to existing research on how light pollution affects ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots and highlights the need to shift to alternatives in artificial light that would tone down these effects.
The effects on insect populations are wide-ranging. More specifically, artificial light affects how moths lay their eggs and puts them at a higher risk of being spotted by predators (捕食性动物). It also affects moths’ feeding behavior, which subsequently leads to declines in their population too. Light pollution thus joins a host of factors, such as climate change and deforestation, as one of the determinants of insect population decline.
While previous studies examined the effects of lighting on bats and other vertebrates, this study focused on their prey—creatures lower down in the food chain—and, as a result, complementing (补充) previous studies. Therefore, the study is concerning because it suggests an alarming loss of insects caused by artificial light, which will have far-reaching consequences for all the wildlife and ecosystems that depend on them.
Moreover, white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were found to have the worst impact on local insects and ecosystem processes. The researchers thus call for shifting away from white LEDs or employing processes such as motion sensors to make the lights less bright and changing colors and filters to avoid the negative impacts. If the findings of the study are anything to go by, local insect ecosystems will suffer considerable consequences- which will, in turn, affect the wildlife that depends on them and, ultimately, could perhaps even upset agricultural balances.
1. What can we learn about the new study?| A．It is conducted on a local basis. |
| B．It highlights the value of artificial light. |
| C．It focuses on the preservation of insects. |
| D．It matters more than the existing research. |
| A．It may put them in danger. |
| B．It prevents them from feeding. |
| C．It may lead to their extinction. |
| D．It disables them from laying eggs. |
| A．To shift to green alternatives. |
| B．To adopt brighter colors and filters. |
| C．To avoid adopting white-light LEDs. |
| D．To replace them with motion sensors. |
| A．Artificial Light and Wildlife Protection |
| B．Light Pollution and the Endangered Species |
| C．Artificial Light Has Negative Effects on Agriculture |
| D．Light Pollution from Street Lights Could Drive Insect Loss |
【推荐1】The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in educational technology has brought convenience and efficiency to classrooms worldwide. However, despite these advancements, it is crucial to recognize the significant challenges it poses to the autonomy and professional judgment of instructors. One of the primary concerns associated with AI-driven tools in education is the depersonalization of instruction. These tools often rely on pre-packaged digital content and standardized solutions, leaving little room for instructors to tailor their teaching methods.
Each student possesses unique characteristics, including distinct learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Instructors, armed with their wealth of experience and expertise, are best positioned to customize their approaches to meet these individual needs. They know how to adapt to their students’ varying learning styles. However, AI-driven platforms restrict their ability to do so effectively, resulting in a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to engage and inspire students to reach their maximum potential.
The implications of this depersonalization are far-reaching. By diminishing(降低) the role of instructors as facilitators of meaningful educational interactions, we run the risk of preventing the growth of critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students.
Education should not merely focus on knowledge acquisition (习得), but should also develop the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply that knowledge in real-world contexts. It should help one’s mind grow, not simply possess information. Through dynamic classroom discussions, cooperative projects, and hands-on activities, instructors play a vital role in cultivating these essential skills. AI-driven platforms, with their standardized solutions and automated features, are ill-equipped to provide the same level of engagement and intellectual stimulation as human instructors. While AI-driven platforms undeniably have their advantages, we must not lose sight of the importance of preserving instructors’ autonomy and the educational experience they provide.
1. Why do AI-driven tools fail to help instructors adjust their teaching methods?| A．Their solutions will be challenged. | B．They don’t have professional judgement. |
| C．Their digital content is set previously. | D．They think little of the students’ autonomy. |
| A．They are more professional. | B．They can satisfy individual needs. |
| C．They have higher efficiency. | D．They adopt one-size-fits-all approach. |
| A．Their response in classroom discussions. |
| B．Their ability in solving real life problems. |
| C．Their willingness to cooperate with others. |
| D．Their adaptability to various learning styles. |
| A．Doing cooperative projects. | B．Organizing hands-on activities. |
| C．Developing thinking ability. | D．Evaluating students’ development. |
【推荐2】Over a decade ago, the science fiction series Black Mirror showed a story about using artificial intelligence to bring back loved ones. Thanks to technological advancement, the latest AI technology brings hope of recreating loved ones through virtual form.
Recently, it was revealed that renowned musician Tino Bao had created a digital version of his daughter, who in 2021 passed away due to a rare disease at the age of 22. With the help of Xiaoice, Microsoft Asia’s AI branch based in China, Bao was able to recreate his daughter Bao Rong as an AI-powered virtual figure. Tino Bao, his family and the team went to great lengths to piece together pictures, audio-visual recordings, and narrated memories of Rong. After thousands of trials and errors, they presented the life-like digital human who speaks in both Mandarin and English. Bao has finally launched a company to bring the technological miracle to other families experiencing such loss.
However, this technological achievement has also been accompanied by many controversies. The idea of bringing back a loved one through AI may seem comforting. Still, researchers caution that constantly interacting with an AI version of a deceased loved one could potentially affect the natural grieving process, leaving individuals stuck in a state of denial. This could lead to prolonged grief and other mental health issues. Furthermore, there’s a risk that people may become overly dependent on the technology, prioritizing their interactions with the AI version over forming new, real-life relationships.
With the case of Bao Rong out in the open, AI resurrection (复活) has become a business. From simple “talking pictures” that sound nothing like the loved ones to deep fake videos of actors speaking with the faces of those who passed away, the lower end of the market is more “artificial” than “intelligent”. Therefore, it is crucial to establish proper regulations and ethical standards to ensure that the use of AI-resurrection technology is safe and responsible.
1. Why does the author mention Black Mirror?| A．To advertise Microsoft’s virtual products. |
| B．To lead to the discussion about AI resurrection. |
| C．To prove the predictive power of science fiction. |
| D．To highlight the advancement of artificial intelligence. |
| A．The popularity of AI-resurrection technology. |
| B．Reasons for making a digital version of Bao Rong. |
| C．Challenges of developing a life-like digital human. |
| D．The process of creating an AI-powered virtual figure. |
| A．It still has some technical limitations. |
| B．It helps people build new real-life relationships. |
| C．It can be a person’s obstacle to recovering from sadness. |
| D．It enables individuals to preserve good memories of loved ones. |
| A．Strengthen the management of the technology. |
| B．Apply the technology to making pictures and videos. |
| C．Put the technology into the market as soon as possible. |
| D．Educate the public about the potential risks of technology. |
【推荐3】Geoffrey Everest Hinton is a British-Canadian cognitive (认知的) psychologist and computer scientist. In May 2023, Hinton announced his leaving from Google to be able to “freely speak out about the risks of AI”. Hinton’s work on neural networks—the method that teaches AI to process data in a way similar to the human brain—supports how modern chatbots like ChatGPT and Google Bard function. But now, he partly regrets making this advancement.
Hinton has been working on neural networks since he was a graduate student at the University of Edinburgh in the 1970s. Then few researchers believed in the idea. Even Hinton’s PhD advisor had his doubts. “We met once a week,” Hinton said. “Sometimes it ended in a shouting match.”
But Hinton persisted with his work. In the 1980s, he and his colleagues put forward a technique called backpropagation—an algorithm (算法) for training machines. In 2012, he had a big breakthrough: Hinton and two of his students created a neural network that could analyze photos and teach itself to identify objects. The next year, the team’s neural network startup was bought by Google, where Hinton continued to work.
For years, Hinton believed neural networks were not as good as the way human brains function, but he’s recently started thinking differently. He once thought it would take up to 50 years for the technology to outsmart humans, but he now predicts it’ll be just 5 to 20. Hinton’s immediate concerns are that fake text, pictures and videos produced by AI will make regular people unable to distinguish them from reality. Eventually, this technology could be used by humans to influence public opinion. He believes that AI could avoid its limits and begin making people do what it wants by learning how humans control or influence others.
However, Yann LeCun, Meta’s chief AI scientist who won the 2018 Turing Award with Hinton, has a different opinion. “I believe that intelligent machines will lead to a new renaissance (复兴) for humanity, a new era of enlightenment,” LeCun said.
1. What can we know about Geoffrey Everest Hinton?| A．He struggled a lot at Google before leaving. | B．He showed little interest in AI at college. |
| C．He prides himself on his achievements in AI. | D．He contributes a lot to the development of AI. |
| A．Put aside. | B．Showed off. | C．Stuck to. | D．Jumped at. |
| A．It might control humans. | B．It might make humans quick thinkers. |
| C．It will better protect people’s privacy. | D．It will need technological breakthroughs. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Negative. | C．Optimistic. | D．Contradictory. |
