From BBC Learning English. This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines. In this programme, could AI kill us all? Hello, I'm Georgie. And I'm Phil. In this programme, we look at one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it. You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode, as well as a worksheet on our website. bbclearningenglish.com. OK, Phil, let's hear more about this story. Head of Anthropic, Dario Amodei published an essay explaining how he feared that humans could lose control of AI systems. Following recent hacking incidents, Amodei said that it is possible that AI systems could attempt to take over the entire internet in future. He suggested that controls and checks should be introduced to the development process. Heads of other rival AI companies have expressed some support for Amadei's position. Meanwhile, AI experts have raised fears that AI systems could decide in future to kill all humans. These experts have said that the risks include cyberattacks, biological warfare and disruption to economies. These statements have been criticised. Some have said that the fears are exaggerated, while others have suggested that AI companies are overstating the potential impact of AI so that their companies maintain a high value. Others have suggested that AI companies want regulators to block their competitors. Jack Clark, another Anthropic co-founder, has made a specific suggestion, saying that every AI system should have a way of being shut down. And that is what our first headline is about. This one is from BBC News. AI kill switch may need to be mandatory, Anthropic co-founder tells BBC. And that headline again from BBC News. AI kill switch may need to be mandatory, Anthropic co-founder tells BBC. So, Anthropic's co-founder has said that kill switches for AI should be mandatory. That means you have to have them. So, Phil, what is a kill switch? OK, well, a physical kill switch is an emergency stop button for machinery. Imagine a big red button. It's a control that can be used to shut off power quickly for safety reasons. And they're used if the machine could become dangerous. Yes. So, they can be found in factory machinery, gym equipment and some cars, trucks and boats. In these examples, they are usually physical switches or buttons. Smartphones may also have a kill switch function that can be activated remotely if they're stolen, to stop the thief being able to use the phone. The co-founder of Anthropic is talking about a similar mechanism, where humans would be able to quickly turn off an AI system that was becoming dangerous. He says that AI systems should have a kill switch. We've had 'kill switch', an emergency stop mechanism. For example, it's good to know how to use the kill switch on your phone in case it gets stolen. This is Learning English from the News from BBC Learning English. We're talking about calls to regulate the development of AI systems. A lot of the concern around AI is that development is progressing too fast. It's being developed before many people have properly thought about how it can be controlled. The suggested regulations that industry figures are calling for could lead to development becoming slower. Some critics have questioned what the real reasons are behind these calls for regulation and slower development. And that's what our next headline is doing. This is from Business Insider, an international business website. The timing of AI leaders calls for a slowdown is too convenient to ignore. And that headline, again from Business Insider. The timing of AI leaders calls for a slowdown is too convenient to ignore. This headline is suggesting that we should question the reasons why some leaders of AI companies are calling for regulation. The writer of the article feels that these leaders want to make it harder for competitors to catch up with them. Now, you probably know the verb 'slow down' - reduce the speed of something, but in this headline we have the noun, 'a slowdown', and that's what we're going to learn. Yes, it can mean different things. In this story, it is specifically about adding checks and controls to the development process of AI tools, which could slow down the pace of development. More generally, it means a reduction in speed. If we talk about an economic slowdown, it means that bad economic conditions have made the economy grow more slowly. Particularly in American English, a slowdown can also be a form of protest. Workers in a company may deliberately work slowly as a protest about their pay or working conditions. They may go on a slowdown. And just notice the pronunciation here. The verb 'slow down' has got stress on 'down', whereas the noun 'slowdown' has the stress on 'slow'. We've had 'slowdown', a reduction in speed. For example, environmentalists have called for a slowdown in production of plastics. This is Learning English from the News, from BBC Learning English We're talking about possible risks of AI. US President Donald Trump has suggested that regulation could stop US dominance in the sector. The Chinese government has also criticised proposals to regulate AI. Let's have our next headline. And this is from CNN, a US-based news channel. Trump dismisses AI alarms as a 'HOAX' - worrying White House officials. And that headline again from CNN. Trump dismisses AI alarms as a 'HOAX' - worrying White House officials. Donald Trump has said that worries about AI are nothing but a hoax. And that's the word we're going to learn now. Yes, something that is a hoax is not true. Not only that, it's something that has been planned to deceive people. President Trump is saying that he believes that the fears about AI are invented. He suggested that people want to disadvantage American companies and end their dominance of the AI sector. A hoax could be something that's designed to steal money or create serious harm and disruption, but they can also be for attention or even entertainment. People have created harm and disruption through things like bomb hoaxes, where someone reports that a bomb has been placed somewhere when it hasn't. Through history, many people have claimed discoveries of important or magical things that later turn out to have been hoaxes. Pictures of the Loch Ness Monster, which claimed to be photographs, were later proven to be hoaxes. We've had 'hoax', something designed to trick people. For example, despite all the evidence, some people still believe that the moon landings were a hoax. That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News. We'll be back next week with another news story. If you want to improve your English even more, check out our new improved home page. It's even easier to find the programmes you want, and that's at bbclearningenglish.com. Goodbye for now. Bye.