Fears of artificial intelligence (AI) have haunted humanity since the very beginning of the computer age. Hitherto these fears focused on machines using physical means to kill, enslave or replace people. But over the past couple of years new AI tools have emerged that threaten the survival of human civilisation from an unexpected direction. AI has gained some remarkable abilities to manipulate and generate language, whether with words, sounds or images. AI has thereby hacked the operating system of our civilisation.
Language is the stuff almost all human culture is made of. Human rights, for example, aren’t inscribed in our DNA. Rather, they are cultural artefacts we created by telling stories and writing laws. Gods aren’t physical realities. Rather, they are cultural artefacts we created by inventing myths and writing scriptures….What would happen once a non-human intelligence becomes better than the average human at telling stories, composing melodies, drawing images, and writing laws and scriptures? When people think about Chatgpt and other new AI tools, they are often drawn to examples like school children using AI to write their essays. What will happen to the school system when kids do that? But this kind of question misses the big picture. Forget about school essays. Think of the next American presidential race in 2024, and try to imagine the impact of AI tools that can be made to mass-produce political content, fake-news stories and scriptures for new cults…
Through its mastery of language, AI could even form intimate relationships with people, and use the power of intimacy to change our opinions and worldviews. Although there is no indication that AI has any consciousness or feelings of its own, to foster fake intimacy with humans it is enough if the AI can make them feel emotionally attached to it….
What will happen to the course of history when AI takes over culture, and begins producing stories, melodies, laws and religions? Previous tools like the printing press and radio helped spread the cultural ideas of humans, but they never created new cultural ideas of their own. AI is fundamentally different. AI can create completely new ideas, completely new culture…. Of course, the new power of AI could be used for good purposes as well. I won’t dwell on this, because the people who develop AI talk about it enough….
We can still regulate the new AI tools, but we must act quickly. Whereas nukes cannot invent more powerful nukes, AI can make exponentially more powerful AI.… Unregulated AI deployments would create social chaos, which would benefit autocrats and ruin democracies. Democracy is a conversation, and conversations rely on language. When AI hacks language, it could destroy our ability to have meaningful conversations, thereby destroying democracy….And the first regulation I would suggest is to make it mandatory for AI to disclose that it is an AI. If I am having a conversation with someone, and I cannot tell whether it is a human or an AI—that’s the end of democracy. This text has been generated by a human. Or has it?
We can infer that the author is most likely to agree with which of the following statements?
- One of the biggest casualties from the spread of unregulated AI is likely to be the democratic process.
- Apart from its drawbacks, AI tools have been beneficial in boosting technological and industrial advance worldwide.
- The commonly expressed fear that future AI developments will fatally harm humans is unfounded.
- People’s fears of the dangers of students using ChatGPT and other new AI tools are unfounded.
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The passage emphasizes the threat AI poses to democracy, particularly how AI’s mastery of language could destroy meaningful conversations and undermine democratic processes. The author is concerned about unregulated AI and its potential to benefit autocrats and
ruin democracies.
Therefore, option (1) best reflects the author’s viewpoint, as it directly aligns with the argument made in the passage about the dangers of unregulated AI to democracy.
The tone of the passage could best be described as
- alarmist, because the passage discusses scenarios of the influence of new AI tools on language and human emotions.
- cautionary, because the author lays out some adverse effects of the proliferation of unregulated AI tools.
- prescient, as the author analyses the future impact of the use of new AI tools on crucial areas of our society and culture.
- quizzical, as the passage poses several questions, concluding with the question of whether or not the passage content has been generated by AI.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage discusses the potential negative consequences of unregulated AI tools, especially on language, democracy, and culture. The tone is concerned and warns against the uncontrolled proliferation of AI. Therefore, option (2) is the most accurate description of
the tone of the passage.
The author terms language “the operating system of our civilization” for all the following reasons EXCEPT that it
- has laid the foundation for the creation of cultural artefacts through writing and telling of stories.
- is the basis of AI tools like ChatGPT which can be used to generate academic content and opinion.
- can influence political views and opinions as it engenders close emotional ties among people.
- is fundamental to the articulation and spread of human values and culture in our society.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The author refers to language as the ”operating system of our civilization” to highlight its fundamental role in shaping culture, human values, and communication. The passage does not discuss AI tools like Chat GPT as a reason for this term. Option (2) is the exception, as it shifts focus from the traditional role of language in human civilization to its use in AI tools, which is not the point the author is making.
The author identifies all of the following as dire outcomes of the capture of language by AI EXCEPT that it could
- eventually subvert democratic processes through the mass creation and spread of fake political content and news.
- apply its mastery of language to create strong emotional ties which could exacerbate the polarization of political views.
- spawn a completely new culture through its ability to create new ideas and opinions.
- out-strip human creativity and endeavours in the spheres such as art and music and, in the formulation of laws.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
In the passage, the author discusses how AI could subvert democratic processes, create new cultures, and outstrip human creativity. However, the author does not specifically mention the creation of emotional ties to exacerbate political polarization as a dire out-
come of AI’s capture of language. Therefore, option (2) is the exception, and the correct answer.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
“Why do they pull down and do away with crooked streets, I wonder, which are my delight, and hurt no man living? Every day the wealthier nations are pulling down one or another in their capitals and their great towns: they do not know why they do it; neither do I. It ought to be enough, surely, to drive the great broad ways which commerce needs and which are the life-channels of a modern city, without destroying all history and all the humanity in between: the islands of the past.”
(From Hilaire Belloc’s “The Crooked Streets”)
Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?- GATE PH - 2025
- General Aptitude
- Reading Comprehension
Passage: Toru Dutt is considered the earliest Indian female writer in English. She travelled extensively in Europe from a young age with her family. She and her sister Aru became fascinated with Paris and French literature. In London, they came in contact with such august personages such as Sir Bartle Frere, the Gover- nor of Bombay from 1862 to 1867, and Sir Edward Ryan, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Calcutta, from 1837 to 1843. Toru Dutt was greatly influenced in her writings by French Romantic poets like Victor Hugo and English writers like Elizabeth Browning, John Keats, Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen. She was also intrigued by the legends and myths of India, and even learned Sanskrit. Her writings were marked by romantic melancholia and an obsession and preoccupation with death. This was partly due to her suffering and pain following the early tragic deaths of her siblings, especially her older sister Aru, with whom she was quite close. Her chosen subjects often portrayed separation, loneliness, captivity, dejec- tion, declining seasons and untimely death. She led an ”Ivory Tower existence” and her own death came quite early, at the age of 21, in the full bloom of her talent and on the eve of the awakening of her genius. Toru Dutt’s most famous work is A Sheaf Gleaned in French Fields, an anthology of poems translated from French to English. It also contained a few original poems that showcase her vast insight into French literature. She used to publish poems in the Bengal Magazine, under the pseudonym ”TD”. But most of her powerful work was published posthumously, in- cluding the French novel Le Journal de Mademoiselle D’Arvers and the unfinished English novel Bianca, or, the Young Spanish Maiden. Her work Ancient Ballads and Legends of Hindustan depicts a shrewd knowledge of Hindu mythology and an instinctive empathy with the conditions of life they represent. An assimilation of the Occident and the Orient nourished Toru’s poetic skills; in her, we find a tripartite influence of a French education, lectures at Cambridge and the study of Sanskrit literature.
- NPAT - 2025
- Verbal Reasoning
- Reading Comprehension
“Why do they pull down and do away with crooked streets, I wonder, which are my delight, and hurt no man living? Every day the wealthier nations are pulling down one or another in their capitals and their great towns: they do not know why they do it; neither do I. It ought to be enough, surely, to drive the great broad ways which commerce needs and which are the life-channels of a modern city, without destroying all history and all the humanity in between: the islands of the past.” (From Hilaire Belloc’s “The Crooked Streets”)
Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?
- GATE CE - 2025
- General Aptitude
- Reading Comprehension
- “His life was divided between the books, his friends, and long walks. A solitary man, he worked at all hours without much method, and probably courted his fatal illness in this way. To his own name there is not much to show; but such was his liberality that he was continually helping others, and fruits of his erudition are widely scattered, and have gone to increase many a comparative stranger’s reputation.”
(From E.V. Lucas’s “A Funeral”)
Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?- GATE CE - 2025
- General Aptitude
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the excerpt from a Handicrafts Manual: ‘Advanced Knitting Techniques’ and answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate answer.
THE FAIR ISLE METHOD: Fair Isle knitting is a traditional technique that involves using two or more colours of yarn in a single row to create intricate patterns and designs. This method requires careful tension management to ensure even stitches and prevent puckering. To begin, select your colours and cast on the desired number of stitches. As you knit, alternate between colours every few stitches, carrying the unused yarn along the back of the work. Mastering the Fair Isle technique allows you to create stunning visual effects in garments, accessories, and home textiles.
THE CONTINENTAL STYLE: The Continental knitting style, often referred to as “picking,” involves holding the yarn in the left hand while the right hand manipulates the needles. This method allows for greater speed and efficiency, particularly when working with complex patterns or multiple colours. To practice this style, start by casting on your stitches and using your left hand to tension the yarn. With each stitch, simply “pick” the yarn with your right needle, forming a quick and fluid motion. As you become comfortable with this technique, you may find that your overall knitting speed and comfort improve significantly.
THE SHORT-ROW TECHNIQUE: Short-row knitting is an advanced technique that allows for the creation of shaped garments, such as sleeves and shoulders, without the need for complex shaping. To make a sleeve using this technique, begin by casting on the required number of stitches. Work a portion of the row, then turn your work and return without completing the full row to create the “short rows” that shape the curves of the sleeve. To prevent holes at the turn, wrap the stitch before you turn your work. Repeat this process as needed to achieve the desired shaping and dimension of the sleeve. Once you have shaped the sleeve, you can then sew the side seams to connect the pieces of your garment and finally, complete the edges to ensure a clean finish. This method not only helps shape curves but also adds dimension to your piece, allowing you to enhance fit and style.- AILET BALLB (Hons.) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in CAT exam
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- CAT - 2024
- Logarithms
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- CAT - 2024
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- CAT - 2024
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- Two points A and B are 45 km apart. Anil started from A. Sunil started from B. They met each other after 1 hour 30 mins. and after meeting, they continued towards their destinations. Time taken by Anil to reach Point B was 1 hr 15 mins more than the time taken by Sunil to reach point A. Find speed of Anil
- CAT - 2024
- Time, Speed and Distance
- If x and y satisfy the equations |x| + x + y = 15 and x + |y| − y = 20, then (x − y) equals
- CAT - 2024
- Algebra