[988] Authentic English listening practice in the form of a conversation with my brother James about the current state of Artificial Intelligence. In this episode of Luke’s English Podcast, Luke and James discuss artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, the AI bubble, generative AI, AGI, automation, job displacement, tech startups, Silicon Valley culture, deep fakes, AI hallucinations, cryptocurrency, Blade Runner, and the future of work. This is a long-form British English conversation designed to help learners improve listening comprehension, vocabulary and fluency while exploring the hype, risks and promises surrounding AI technology.

Are the massive predictions about AI and the future real, or just hype? Why does the tech industry push frightening narratives about AI and its effects on society? Will tech companies ever make a profit from the huge $$$ investments they have made in AI? How are ordinary people reacting to AI at the moment? How useful is it for Luke in his job? Do people really like or want what is produced by AI? Will AI ever reach super-intelligence? Is Harrison Ford actually a robot in the film Blade Runner? What disgusting thing did James eat for breakfast today? All these questions answered and discussed in rambling style by The Low Tech Bros – James and Luke. PDF transcript available with vocabulary glossary.

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Give me your mind! Tell me your thoughts! Write down your human thoughts from your human brain, using your fleshy human fingers in this comment section below 👇

[987] British English listening practice at a natural speed with surprising facts and lots of humour. Pod-pals Amber & Paul join me for an outlandish and outrageous “true or false” quiz 📝. Can Amber and Paul decide if these facts are true, or just total bulls#*t (or maybe that should be b*llocks?) The episode is long, the English is fast, but the jokes come regularly and I promise that you will learn something new. ⚠️Warning: some topics are a bit disgusting, graphic or explicit and not for the kids👧🙅.

Includes talk of satanic cats 🐈‍⬛, animal accents 🐐, unsexy corn flakes 🥣, wolverine toads 🐸, blood-shooting lizards🦎🩸, suicide sex-bees 🐝, British tank tea 🫖, astro pee 🛰️, urine mouthwash 😬, ancient dogs 🐕, 23-hour dinosaurs 🦕 and a lot more. Listen all the way to the end as things get incredible in the 2nd half. Transcript available.

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Credit for the facts, and inspiration for this episode goes to the book “True Facts That Sound Like Bulls#*t” by Shane Carley. Get your copy here 👇

True Facts That Sound Like Bull$#*t: 500 Insane-But-True Facts That Will Shock and Impress Your Friends

Another short story on LEP to entertain you and help you learn some more English words and expressions. This one is a creepy tale about a room in a house with a strange, fatal attraction. People can’t stop themselves going through the door, but then what happens to them? Follow along with me and try to understand the final, crucial line at the end. I will explain everything, analyse the vocabulary line by line and teach you plenty of useful phrases. PDF available as usual!

This story was originally told by the great Irish comedian and storyteller Dave Allen on his TV show in the 1980s (or maybe the 90s). He told the story much better than I ever could.

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Dave Allen was a great comedian and a master storyteller, and he told this story much better than I ever could.

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Haiku poems communicate a lot of ideas, thoughts and feelings into just a few simple words. They can be moving, humourous or meditative, and reading haiku in English allows you to learn vocabulary in a very interesting way. In part 1 I talked about the form and history of haiku, and read out various short poems in English from both Japanese writers and modern English ones. In part 2 here I finish reading my haiku selection, including many written by English-language haiku master John Stevenson. Listen to each one, consider the different meanings and interpretations and also learn specific words and phrases to expand your English vocabulary.

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