【804-806】美国军方发布人工智能战略&亚马逊的退出引发了对纽约的质疑&尼日利亚妇女对抗皮肤-闪电运动
AS IT IS
Amazon’s Withdrawal Raises Questions about New York
February 16, 2019
Amazon shocked many people last week when it cancelled plans to set up a big new headquarters in New York City.
Amazon’s decision means the company is suspending plans to develop part of Queens, New York. The project would have created 25,000 jobs.
The decision came after some politicians and social activists angrily protested the nearly $3 billion in assistance promised to the company.
“We are disappointed…we love New York,” said a statement from Amazon on its blog after the cancellation was announced.
The collapse of the project appears to raise questions about the growing power of large technology companies. Some people also disliked Amazon’s anti-labor position.
“This all of a sudden became the perfect test case for all those arguments,” said Joe Parilla. He works for the Brookings Institution research group.
Amazon announced in November that New York was one of two areas chosen for its second headquarters. The other was Crystal City, in Arlington, Virginia.
The announcement followed months of secret negotiations between Amazon and government officials in the two states.
In New York, the company planned to spend $2.5 billion to build its new offices.
Because of New York’s economic strength, the city will easily recover from the Amazon decision. But some observers say it could frighten other tech companies that are thinking about moving to New York. The city wants to be seen as the East Coast version of California’s Silicon Valley, the home of many high-tech businesses.
“One of the real risks here is the message we send to companies that want to come to New York,” said Julie Samuels. She heads the industry group Tech: NYC.
Opposition Grows
In November, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo were happy to welcome Amazon to New York. They believed it would help the growing tech economy and create billions of dollars in taxes that could be used for schools, housing and other projects.
But opposition quickly grew as people learned of the deals the city promised to the company.
Critics pointed to the $3 billion incentives the city promised the company as well as some of Amazon’s demands.
Thomas Stringer works for a company that advises large companies. He said he knew something was wrong right from the start with the Amazon deal.
“If this was done right, all the elected officials would have been out there touting how great it was. When you didn’t see that happen, you knew something was wrong,” he said.
Stringer added that city and state government officials need to rethink their decision to carry out the negotiations in secret. Community leaders and potential critics were not included in the talks. They were angry when they learned about the incentives.
Amazon must also take some blame, said Joe Parilla. He said the publicity surrounding the hunt for a new headquarters and the way several cities were asked to offer incentives may have led to a backlash.
New York is still strong
But other tech companies are doing well in New York City.
Google is spending $2.4 billion to build up its Manhattan offices. Cloud-computing company Salesforce has put its name on Verizon’s former headquarters. And music service Spotify just signed a rental agreement for a large space at the new World Trade Center.
New York has higher costs than other cities. But many tech companies want to be there because it is home to many highly skilled people, education and cultural centers, as well as Wall Street, the financial center of the United States.
No other U.S. city has as many computer-related jobs as New York City. It has 225,600, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Washington, Boston, Atlanta and Dallas each have a greater percentage of their workers in tech jobs.
Even after cancelling the project, Amazon still has 5,000 employees in New York City, without including those who work at Whole Foods Market stores.
The Associated Press reported on this story. Susan Shand adapted the AP reports for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
incentive – n. something that has an effect or persuades a person to do something or to work harder
disappoint – v. to make someone unhappy by not being as good as expected or by not doing something that was hoped for
tout – v. to talk about something or someone as being very good, effective or skillful
backlash – n. a strong public reaction against something
AS IT IS
Nigerian Women Fight Skin-Lightning Movement
February 16, 2019
Many women around the world use skin-lightening beauty products in an effort to improve their looks.
The World Health Organization, or WHO, reports that the country with the highest percentage of women using such products is Nigeria.
In its 2011 report, the WHO estimated that about 77 percent of Nigerian women normally used skin-lightening products. That represented about 76 million people.
Nigeria’s beauty care industry is already worth several billion dollars. It has been expanding at a rate of 8 to 10 percent each year.
WHO officials say the biggest danger from skin-lighteners is the chemical mercury, which is commonly used in such products. Mercury is often used because it can slow the formation of melanin, a substance that gives skin its color.
The WHO warns that using skin-lightening products over time increases mercury levels in the body. It says the most serious result of mercury buildup can be kidney damage. Other possible conditions include stretch marks, weakened skin or other skin problems. Mercury can also reduce the skin’s ability to resist infections.
Even with the continued popularity of skin-lightening products, some Nigerian women are choosing to reject them. They say they believe their naturally dark skin is beautiful and does not need to be lightened.
That opinion is not shared by 25-year-old Goodness Ben, a Nigerian model and actress. She says lightening her skin could increase her chances of getting more work in movies. Ben recently spoke to a VOA reporter during a visit to a market in Abuja.
"Yes, this is Nigeria, and a fair skin is business. In the movie industry, most times directors want you to, like, glow.”
Ben added that having lighter skin makes her feel better about herself and is more appealing to others. “Yes, for me to be better, for me to be fair, for me to be more beautiful,” she said.
Some darker-skinned Nigerians have pushed back against the idea that lighter is better. They have launched what they are calling the “Melanin Movement.”
Tina Ohanu says she has no need to lighten her skin to improve her self-image.
"My confidence really doesn't come from my skin, it comes from within.”
She added that she still gets a lot of attention from men without lightening her skin.
Some African nations have taken action to restrict such beauty aids. Ghana, Ivory Coast and Rwanda have banned all skin- lightening products, while Nigeria joined South Africa in barring some that contain the most harmful chemicals.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Timothy Obiezu reported this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted his report for VOA Learning English, with additional information from the World Health Organization. George Grow was the editor.
What do you think about the use of skin-lightening products? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
glow – v. give off a warm, healthy appearance
confidence – n. a feeling of being certain in the ability to do things well
AS IT IS
US Military Releases Its Artificial Intelligence Strategy
February 16, 2019
The American military wants to expand its use of artificial intelligence, or AI, for war. But it says the technology will be deployed in respect to the nation’s values.
The United States Defense Department released its first AI strategy this week.
The strategy calls for increasing the use of AI systems throughout the military, from decision-making to predicting problems in planes or ships. It urges the military to provide AI training to change “its culture, skills and approaches.” And it supports investment and partnership with education and industry in AI research.
The military report calls for the U.S. to move quickly before other countries narrow America’s technological lead. It says, “Other nations, particularly China and Russia, are making significant investments in AI for military purposes….” It says some of those applications raise questions connected to international norms and human rights.
The report makes little mention of autonomous weapons. But it lists an existing 2012 military guidance that requires humans to be in control “over the use of force.”
The U.S., Russia, Israel and South Korea are among the countries that have blocked a United Nations effort to ban autonomous weapons, also known as “killer robots.” Such systems could one day carry out war without human intervention. The U.S. has argued that it is too early to try to restrict them.
The strategy released this week says the U.S. military will lead in honoring international and national law, supporting American values and strengthening U.S. partnerships with other nations.
The U.S. strategy report centers on more immediate applications. But some of those applications already have led to ethics debates within the U.S. Last year, Google withdrew from the military’s Project Maven after Google employees protested the work. That project aims to use AI to study video images which could be used to direct drone strikes in conflict areas.
Other companies have stepped in and the U.S. military is working with AI experts to establish ethical guidelines for its applications.
Todd Probert is with Raytheon, a company working with the U.S. military on Maven and other weapons programs. He said the technology is used to speed up the decision-making process.
“Everything we’ve seen is with a human decision-maker in the loop,” he said.
I'm Caty Weaver.
The Associated Press reported this story. Hai Do adapted it for VOA Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.
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Words in This Story
strategy - n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time
approach – n. a way of dealing with something : a way of doing or thinking about something
significant – adj. large enough to be noticed or have an effect
autonomous – adj. able to act independently
drone – n. a kind of aircraft that flies without a pilot
in the loop – n. part of a group that is kept up-to-date with information about something