English Lesson (Listening): "Fake AI Videos Spread False Stories About Cities" (High B2)

Vocabulary 1
A. Croydon – a large town in South London
B. AI-generated – généré par l’IA – created by artificial intelligence
C. face coverings – masques – something worn over face for protection
D. taxpayer-funded – financé par les contribuables – paid for using public money
E. clip – extrait vidéo – short part of a video
F. deepfakes – deepfakes – realistic fake videos or images
G. falling apart – en train de s’effondrer – breaking down or losing structure
H. platforms – plateformes – online services or social media sites
I. exaggerate – exagérer – make something seem bigger or worse
J. blame – blâmer – say someone is responsible for something
K. urban decline – déclin urbain – worsening conditions in city areas

Guide Questions 
1. What does the speaker say about the AI-generated video?
2. What does the speaker say about this trend?
3. What does the speaker say about these clips?

TRANSCRIPT 1

An AI-generated video recently showed young men wearing face coverings jumping into a dirty swimming pool. The pool is described as a “taxpayer-funded” water park in Croydon. Although the clip looked realistic, it was completely fake. It is part of a growing online trend in which deepfakes present Western cities as dirty, unsafe, and falling apart. Similar videos about places such as London, Manchester, San Francisco, and New York have received millions of views on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. These clips often exaggerate social problems and blame immigration or crime for urban decline. (94 words)

Vocabulary 2
A. absurd – absurde – completely unreasonable or silly
B. claims – affirmations – statements that something is true
C. racist – raciste – showing dislike or unfairness to races
D. public anger – colère publique – people’s strong negative feelings together
E. authentic – authentique – real or genuine, not fake
F. labelled – étiqueté – marked or identified with a name
G. AI-made – créé par l’IA – produced by artificial intelligence
H. misleading – trompeur – giving wrong or false impression

Guide Questions
1. What does the speaker say about the creator of the video?
2. Why did the creator make the video?
3. How did some users react?
4. What do experts warn?

 

TRANSCRIPT 2

The creator of the Croydon video, a man in his twenties from north-west England, says his content is intended as humor and absurd entertainment. However, he also admits he wants the videos to appear real so viewers will pay attention. Despite claims of no political purpose, the videos have led to racist comments and public anger. Some users believed the scenes were authentic, even when labelled as AI-made. Experts warn that improving AI tools make it easier to spread misleading content, increasing division and confusion online. (86 words)

Source: BBC - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8r23yv71o

Discussion:
1. The video was made by a person in his twenties. Do you think an older person would have made the video? Explain. 

2. What is your opinion on Deepfake and other AI-made images and video? 

3. What do you think are the benefits of AI-made images and videos? Are there any benefits?

4. Have there been cases in your country where AI-made pictures or videos caused confusion, racist attacks, or protests? 

5. Should government limit or ban AI-made images and videos? Explain your views.