VOA慢速：微软宣布推出内置人工智能的新电脑

Microsoft Announces New PCs with Built-in AI

慢速| 四级 | 594词| 6min10s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What is the strategic partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI as indicated in the text?

A. Microsoft is providing financial support to OpenAI without any direct involvement in AI development.

B. Microsoft is solely responsible for the development and operation of OpenAI’s AI tools.

C. Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI, providing computing power and support for AI operations.

D. OpenAI is the sole provider of AI technology for Microsoft's new computer models.

Q2. What is the significance of the term “AI-ready” as used by Microsoft to describe the new Windows-based PCs?

A. The PCs are specifically designed for AI development and research.

B. The PCs come pre-loaded with AI tools and are optimized for AI operations.

C. The PCs are capable of running any AI software without modification.

D. The PCs are the first to be released with integrated AI capabilities.

Q3. How does Microsoft’s approach to AI differ from Google’s as described in the text?

A. Microsoft focuses on device-based AI operations, while Google emphasizes cloud-based AI.

B. Google is developing AI that can physically see and interact with the environment, unlike Microsoft.

C. Microsoft is releasing AI tools that are only compatible with its own products, unlike Google.

D. Google is investing more in AI research and development compared to Microsoft.

Q4. What does Microsoft’s announcement imply about the future direction of personal computing?

A. Personal computing will become more centralized, with all AI operations happening on cloud servers.

B. Personal computing will see a decline in the use of AI due to privacy concerns.

C. Personal computing will no longer require human interaction as AI takes over all tasks.

D. Personal computing will be characterized by devices with built-in AI capabilities that can anticipate user needs.

Q5. What can be inferred about the competitive landscape of AI technology from the text?

A. The competition is limited to a few major players, such as Microsoft and Google.

B. The AI technology market is saturated, with no room for new entrants.

C. The competition is intensifying as more companies introduce advanced AI capabilities.

D. The competition is focused on price rather than technological innovation.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Microsoft Announces New PCs with Built-in AI

American software maker Microsoft says it will release new computer models with built-in artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

The new computers will be equipped with a new version of Microsoft’s existing AI tool, called Copilot. Copilot can operate across a series of Microsoft business products.

The Copilot service is based on OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool, which launched in late 2022. ChatGPT is an AI tool designed to interact smoothly with humans and perform high-level writing and creative work. Such tools are also known as chatbots or generative AI.

(Q1) Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI. It is providing computing power and support for ChatGPT’s operations.

Microsoft recently introduced the new tools at an event at its headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Chief executive Satya Nadella announced that the new computers will come loaded with the new Copilot+ system. (Q2) The company said these new Windows-based PCs – which it calls “AI-ready” – will be “the fastest, most intelligent” ever built.

executive n.（公司或机构的）经理，主管领导，管理人员

The event came one day before Microsoft’s yearly developer conference. That is where Microsoft introduces its latest new products and services to developers and the public.

The announcement is Microsoft’s latest move to deploy OpenAI’s technology through Copilot to many product offerings. The system is already available for the company’s Teams, Outlook, Bing search engine and Windows operating system.

deploy v. 有效地利用；调动

Microsoft said its AI-based PCs will start being released on June 18 on the company’s own Surface models. It will also be on PCs produced by partners. These include Lenovo, Dell, Acer and HP.

“These improvements provide the most compelling reason to upgrade your PC in a long time,” said Microsoft Vice President Yusuf Mehdi.

vice adj. 副的

(Q3) Microsoft said the AI operations on the new PCs will take place on the device itself rather than a cloud server. This means users will not have to wait for information to be sent to and from the company’s data centers or pay extra money for this service.

Microsoft has also promised that any tracking activity will only be done and saved on the device, not on company servers. Users will also be able to choose not to be tracked, the company added.

The Copilot+ AI offerings include live language translation and image creation. It also offers the ability to interact with the PCs through voice commands instead of clicking to perform certain jobs.

The new offerings also include a tool called Windows Recall. This gives the Copilot+ assistant what Microsoft describes as a “photographic memory” of a person’s computer activity. The tool is designed to remember the things a user does on the PC in an effort to predict what the user might want to do next.

It’s a step toward machines that “instantly see us, hear, reason about our intent and our surroundings,” Microsoft’s Nadella said. (Q4) He added: “We’re entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but can actually anticipate what we want and our intent.”

Nadella’s announcement on AI comes shortly after some other major technology players announced new releases of their latest AI assistance systems.

Last week, (Q3)Google introduced an improved search engine that shows brief AI-produced results before direct website links. The company also showed off an AI assistant called Astra, which is still in development. Astra is designed to be able to “see” and talk about things shown through a smartphone’s camera.

OpenAI introduced its latest chatbot version, ChatGPT-4o last week. Company officials demonstrated the new tool, which showed improved human characteristics that can give opinions about things. The new version also comes with tools that aim to judge a person’s emotions.

Part III. KEY

Q1. C. 细节题。文中提到 “Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI. It is providing computing power and support for ChatGPT’s operations.”这表明微软是OpenAI主要投资者，并为其AI操作提供计算能力和支持。因此答案为C。

Q2. B. 细节题。文中提到 “these new Windows-based PCs – which it calls ‘AI-ready’ – will be ‘the fastest, most intelligent’ ever built.” 这表明所谓的“AI-ready”是指这些基于Windows系统的电脑预装了AI工具，并且为AI操作进行了优化。因此答案为B。

Q3. A. 细节题。文中提到 “Microsoft said the AI operations on the new PCs will take place on the device itself rather than a cloud server.” 以及“Google introduced an improved search engine that shows brief AI-produced results before direct website links”这表明微软专注于设备端AI操作而非云端，而谷歌发布的引擎会在显示直接的网站链接之前，先展示由人工智能生成的简要结果，可以看出谷歌更强调云端AI。因此答案为A。

Q4. D. 推理题。文中提到 “We’re entering this new era where computers not only understand us, but can actually anticipate what we want and our intent.” 这暗示个人计算的未来方向将是设备内置AI功能，能够预测用户的需求。因此答案为D。

Q5. C. 推理题。文中提到了微软、谷歌和OpenAI等公司都在推出或改进他们的AI工具，这表明AI 技术市场竞争正在加剧。因此答案为C。

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