Certain forms of AI are indeed becoming ubiquitous. For example, algorithms (算法) carry out huge volumes of trading on our financial markets, self-driving cars are appearing on city streets, and our smartphones are translating from one language into another. These systems are sometimes faster and more perceptive than we humans are. But so far that is only true for the specific tasks for which the systems have been designed. That is something that some AI developers are now eager to change.
Some of today’s AI pioneers want to move on from today’s world of “weak” or “narrow” AI, to create “strong” or “full” AI, or what is often called artificial general intelligence (AGI). In some respects, today’s powerful computing machines already make our brains look weak. A GI could, its advocates say, work for us around the clock, and drawing on all available data, could suggest solutions to many problems. DM, a company focused on the development of AGI, has an ambition to “solve intelligence”. “If we’re successful,” their mission statement reads, “we believe this will be one of the most important and widely beneficial scientific advances ever made.”
Since the early days of AI, imagination has outpaced what is possible or even probable. In 1965, an imaginative mathematician called Irving Good predicted the eventual creation of an “ultra-intelligent machine…that can far surpass all the intellectual (智力的) activities of any man, however clever.” Good went on to suggest that “the first ultra-intelligent machine” could be “the last invention that man need ever make.”
Fears about the appearance of bad, powerful, man-made intelligent machines have been reinforced (强化) by many works of fiction — Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the Terminator film series, for example. But if AI does eventually prove to be our downfall, it is unlikely to be at the hands of human-shaped forms like these, with recognisably human motivations such as aggression (敌对行为). Instead, I agree with Oxford University philosopher Nick Bostrom, who believes that the heaviest risks from A GI do not come from a decision to turn against mankind but rather from a dogged pursuit of set objectives at the expense of everything else.
The promise and danger of true A GI are great. But all of today’s excited discussion about these possibilities presupposes the fact that we will be able to build these systems. And, having spoken to many of the world’s foremost AI researchers, I believe there is good reason to doubt that we will see A GI any time soon, if ever.
42. What does the underlined word “ubiquitous” in Paragraph I probably mean?
A. Enormous in quantity. B. Changeable daily.
C. Stable in quality. D. Present everywhere.
43. What could AGI do for us, according to its supporters?
A. Help to tackle problems. B. Make brains more active.
C Benefit ambitious people. D. Set up powerful databases.
44. As for Irving Good’s opinion on ultra-intelligent machines, the author is ____________.
A. supportive B. disapproving
C. fearful D. uncertain
45. What can be inferred about AGI from the passage?
A. It may be only a dream.
B. It will come into being soon.
C. It will be controlled by humans.
D. It may be more dangerous than ever.
【答案解析】
42. D 43. A 44. B 45. A
这是一篇议论文。文章主要就通用人工智能(AGI)实现的可能性进行了论述。
【42题详解】
词义猜测题。根据划线词所在句后面的For example, algorithms (算法) carry out huge volumes of trading on our financial markets, self-driving cars are appearing on city streets, and our smartphones are translating from one language into another(例如，算法在我们的金融市场上进行大量交易，自动驾驶汽车出现在城市街道上，我们的智能手机正在从一种语言翻译成另一种语言)可知，人工智能在我们生活中用处十分广泛。由此推知，划线词所在句意为“某些形式的人工智能确实正在变得无处不在”，即划线词与D选项“Present everywhere.(在任何地方存在)”意思接近。故选D项。
【43题详解】
细节理解题。根据第二段AGI could, its advocates say, work for us around the clock, and drawing on all available data, could suggest solutions to many problems(AGI的倡导者说，AGI可以24小时为我们工作，并利用所有可用的数据，可以提出许多问题的解决方案)可知，AGI(通用人工智能)的倡导者认为，AGI(通用人工智能)可以提出许多问题的解决方案，帮助我们解决问题。因此，A选项“Help to tackle problems(帮助解决问题)”符合题意。故选A项。
【44题详解】
推理判断题。根据第三段Since the early days of AI, imagination has outpaced what is possible or even probable. In 1965, an imaginative mathematician called Irving Good predicted the eventual creation of an “ultra-intelligent machine…that can far surpass all the intellectual (智力的) activities of any man, however clever.”(自从人工智能的早期，想象力已经超过了可能。1965年，一位富有想象力的数学家欧文·古德预言，最终将创造出一台“超智能机器……它将远远超过任何一个人的智力活动，无论他有多聪明。”)可知，作者认为Irving Good对“超智能机器”的想象力超出了实现的可能，作者并不赞成他的观点，因此B项“disapproving(不赞成)”符合题意。故选B项。
【45题详解】
推理判断题。根据文章最后一句And, having spoken to many of the world's foremost AI researchers, I believe there is good reason to doubt that we will see A GI any time soon, if ever. (而且，在与世界上许多顶尖的人工智能研究人员交谈后，我相信有充分的理由怀疑我们是否会很快看到AGI)可推断出，通用人工智能（AGI）或许只是一个梦想，A选项“It may be only a dream(它也许仅仅是一个梦想)”符合题意。故选择A项。