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为什么AI公司让你免费用聊天机器人
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为什么AI公司让你免费用聊天机器人
截至5月底，OpenAI向学生提供为期两个月的ChatGPT Plus免费服务。 
双语精读
Finals season looks different this year. Across college campuses, students are slogging their way through exams with all-nighters and lots of caffeine, just as they always have.
今年的期末季看起来不太一样。在大学校园里，学生们正借助大量咖啡因通宵达旦地埋头复习，为考试做准备，这是他们一贯的做法。
But they're also getting more help from AI than ever before. Through the end of May, OpenAI is offering students two months of free access to ChatGPT Plus, which normally costs $20 a month. Anthropic, xAI, Google, and Perplexity have also offered students free or significantly discounted versions of their paid chatbots.
但他们也从人工智能那里得到了比以往更多的帮助。截至5月底，OpenAI向学生提供为期两个月的ChatGPT Plus免费服务，该服务通常每月收费20美元。Anthropic、xAI、谷歌、Perplexity也向学生提供了免费或折扣力度很大的付费聊天机器人服务。
Maybe all of this sounds familiar. It's reminiscent of the 2010s, when a generation of start-ups fought to win users over by offering cheap access to their services. These companies especially targeted young, well-to-do, urban Millennials.
或许这一切听起来都很熟悉。这让人想起2010年代，当时的新一代初创企业争相通过提供廉价服务来赢得用户。这些公司瞄准了年轻、富裕、城市里的千禧一代。
For suspiciously low prices, you could start your day with Pilates booked via ClassPass, order lunch with DoorDash, and Lyft to meet your friend for happy hour across town.
只需低得让人怀疑的价格，你就可以用ClassPass预订的普拉提课程开启一天的生活，用DoorDash点午餐，再用Lyft叫车，去城市另一头与朋友共度欢乐时光。
These companies, alongside countless others, created what came to be known as the "Millennial lifestyle subsidy." Now something similar is playing out with AI. Call it the Gen Z lifestyle subsidy.
这些公司，连同无数其他公司，共同创造了所谓的“千禧一代生活方式补贴”。如今，类似的情况正在人工智能领域上演，不妨称之为“Z世代生活补贴”。
The current discounts come at a cost. There are roughly 20 million postsecondary students in the U.S. Say just 1 percent of them take advantage of free ChatGPT Plus for the next two months. The start-up would effectively be giving a handout to students that is worth some $8 million.
目前的这种折扣是有代价的。美国约有2000万名大学生，假设仅有1%在未来两个月内使用免费的ChatGPT Plus，那么这家初创公司实际上将向学生发放价值约800万美元的补助。
In Silicon Valley, $8 million is a rounding error. But many students are likely taking advantage of multiple such deals all at once.
在硅谷，800万美元只是个零头。但许多学生很可能在同时享受多项此类优惠。
Today's giveaways put OpenAI and companies like it only further in the red for now, but maybe not in the long run. After all, Millennials became accustomed to Uber and Lyft, and have stuck with ride-hailing apps even as prices have increased since the start of the pandemic.
现在的赠送服务让OpenAI等类似公司在目前亏损更多，但从长远来看或许并非如此。毕竟，千禧一代习惯了优步和Lyft等网约车服务，而且即便自疫情开始以来价格不断上涨，千禧一代现在依然坚持使用这些叫车应用。
If AI companies can hook young people on their tools now, they may be able to rely on these users to pay up in the future.
如果人工智能公司现在能让年轻人对他们的工具上瘾，将来或许就能依靠这些用户付费。
The Gen Z lifestyle subsidy isn't entirely like its Millennial predecessor. Uber was appealing because using an app to instantly summon a car is much easier than chasing down a cab.
Z世代生活补贴与之前的千禧一代生活补贴并不完全相同。优步之所以吸引人，是因为用应用程序即时叫车比拦出租车方便得多。
Today's chatbots also sell convenience by expediting essay writing and meal planning, but the technology's impact could be even more destabilizing. College students currently signing up for free ChatGPT Plus ahead of finals season might be taking exams intended to prepare them for jobs that the very same AI companies suggest will soon evaporate.
如今的聊天机器人也通过加速论文写作和规划饮食来兜售便利，但这项技术的影响可能会更具破坏性。在期末考试季之前注册免费ChatGPT Plus的大学生正在参加各类考试，这些考试原本是为他们将来从事的职业做准备，而就是这些人工智能公司却暗示，这些职业很快将不复存在。
Even the most active young users I spoke with had mixed feelings about the technology. Some people "are skating through college because of ChatGPT," Gambrell told me. "That level of convenience, I think it can be abused."
就连我采访过的最活跃的年轻用户也对AI技术抱有复杂的感受。甘布雷尔告诉我，有些人“利用ChatGPT在大学里蒙混过关。我觉得这种程度的便利可能会被滥用。”
When companies offer handouts, people tend to take them. Eventually, though, someone has to pay up.
公司提供免费赠品时，人们往往会欣然接受。但是最终总得有人买单。
词汇预习
- current [高考]
美[ˈkɜːrənt] | 英[ˈkʌrənt]
n. 趋势；(水、气、电)流
adj. 现在的；流通的 - impact [高考]
美[ˈɪmpækt , ɪmˈpækt] | 英[ˈɪmpækt , ɪmˈpækt]
n. 影响；冲击力；撞击
vt. 挤入；压紧；撞击；对 ... 发生影响
vi. 冲击；撞击；产生影响 - normally [高考]
美[ˈnɔːrməli] | 英[ˈnɔːməli]
adv. 通常；正常地 - roughly [高考]
美[ˈrʌfli] | 英[ˈrʌfli]
adv. 粗略地；大约；粗暴地；粗糙地；粗鲁地 - effectively [高考]
美[ɪˈfektɪvli] | 英[ɪˈfektɪvli]
adv. 事实上；有效地 - countless [高考]
美[ˈkaʊntləs] | 英[ˈkaʊntləs]
adj. 无数的；多的数不清的 - entirely [高考]
美[ɪnˈtaɪərli] | 英[ɪnˈtaɪəli]
adv. 完全地；全部地 - currently [高考]
美[ˈkɜːrəntli] | 英[ˈkʌrəntli]
adv. 现在；通常；当前 - significantly [高考]
美[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli] | 英[sɪɡˈnɪfɪkəntli]
adv. 意味深长地；意义深远地；重要地；较大地 - instantly [高考]
美[ˈɪnstəntli] | 英[ˈɪnstəntli]
adv. 立即地；即刻地 - multiple [高考]
美[ˈmʌltɪpl] | 英[ˈmʌltɪpl]
adj. 多种多样的；许多的
n. 倍数；并联 - evaporate [高考]
美[ɪˈvæpəreɪt] | 英[ɪˈvæpəreɪt]
v. 蒸发；失去水分；消失 - generation [高考]
美[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn] | 英[ˌdʒenəˈreɪʃn]
n. 一代（人）；一代人的时间；（产品发展的）代；产生 - rely [高考]
美[rɪˈlaɪ] | 英[rɪˈlaɪ]
vi. 依靠；信任 - access [高考]
美[ˈækses] | 英[ˈækses]
n.入口，通道；获得的机会，使用权；（对计算机存储器的）访问，存取；（情感）爆发，发作；探视权
v. 接近，进入；获取，访问（计算机信息）
adj.[美]（电视节目或时间等）对外公开的 - urban [高考]
美[ˈɜːrbən] | 英[ˈɜːbən]
adj. 城市的；都市的 - convenience [高考]
美[kənˈviːniəns] | 英[kənˈviːniəns]
n. 便利；舒适；适宜；便利设施；方便的时间 - error [高考]
美[ˈerər] | 英[ˈerə(r)]
n. 错误；过失；误差；谬误 - via [高考]
美[ˈviːə] | 英[ˈvaɪə]
prep. 经由；通过 - alongside [高考]
美[əˌlɔːŋˈsaɪd] | 英[əˌlɒŋˈsaɪd]
adv. 在旁边
prep. 在 ... 旁边 - hook [高考]
美[hʊk] | 英[hʊk]
n. 钩；钩状物；勾拳
v. 钩住；弯成(钩状)；当妓女 - cab [高考]
美[kæb] | 英[kæb]
n. 出租汽车；司机室；驾驶室；轻便马车
vi. 乘出租车 - rely on [高考]
美[rɪˈlaɪ ɑːn] | 英[rɪˈlaɪ ɒn]
v. 依靠；信赖 - access to [高考]
美[ˈæksɛs tu] | 英[ˈækses tu:]
接近，有权使用；进入，通向…的路口 - take advantage of [高考]
美[teɪk æd'væntɪdʒ əv] | 英[teɪk əd'vɑːntɪdʒ əv]
利用；占…的便宜 - accustomed to [高考]
美[əˈkʌstəmd tu] | 英[əˈkʌstəmd tu]
习惯于 - in the long run [高考]
美[ɪn ðə lɔːŋ rʌn] | 英[ɪn ðə lɒŋ rʌn]
从长远看来 - further [高考]
美[ˈfɜːrðər] | 英[ˈfɜːðə(r)]
adv. 更远地，再往前地；进一步；此外，而且
adj. 更多的，进一步的；（距离上）更远的，较远的
v. 促进，推进 - accustomed [高考]
美[əˈkʌstəmd] | 英[əˈkʌstəmd]
adj. 习惯了的；通常的 - would [高考]
美[wʊd , wəd] | 英[wʊd , wəd]
aux. 将；可能；大概；总会；愿意；will的过去式 - subsidy [四级]
美[ˈsʌbsədi] | 英[ˈsʌbsədi]
n. 津贴；补助金 - well-to-do [四级]
美[ˌwɛltəˈdu] | 英[wel tə dʊ]
adj. 小康的；富裕的
n. 富人 - suspiciously [四级]
美[səˈspɪʃəslɪ] | 英[səˈspɪʃəsli]
adv. 猜疑地；可疑地 - caffeine [四级]
美[ˈkæfiːn] | 英[ˈkæfiːn]
n. 咖啡因 - to-do [四级]
美[təˈdu] | 英[təˈdu:]
n. [非正式]骚动； 喧闹 - summon [四级]
美[ˈsʌmən] | 英[ˈsʌmən]
vt. 召唤；召集；振奋 - come at [四级]
美[kʌm æt] | 英[kʌm æt]
v. 达到；袭击；弄清 - all at once [四级]
美[ɔːl æt wʌns] | 英[ɔːl æt wʌns]
同时； 一起； 突然； 忽然 - planning [四级]
美[ˈplænɪŋ] | 英[ˈplænɪŋ]
n. 规划；计划；设计
v. plan的现在分词 - appealing [四级]
美[əˈpiːlɪŋ] | 英[əˈpiːlɪŋ]
adj. 引起兴趣的；动人的；恳求的 - offering [四级]
美[ˈɔːfərɪŋ] | 英[ˈɒfərɪŋ]
n. 供品；作品；出售物 - predecessor [六级]
美[ˈpredəsesər] | 英[ˈpriːdəsesə(r)]
n. 祖先；前任；原有事物 - handout [六级]
美[ˈhændaʊt] | 英[ˈhændaʊt]
n. 讲义材料；施舍；传单 - pay up [六级]
美[pe ʌp] | 英[pei ʌp]
全部付清
重点讲解
Finals season looks different this year. Across college campuses, students are slogging their way through exams with all-nighters and lots of caffeine, just as they always have.
今年的期末季看起来不太一样。在大学校园里，学生们正借助大量咖啡因通宵达旦地埋头复习，为考试做准备，这是他们一贯的做法。
slog your way through sth 埋头苦干；辛苦地做完某事
【例】She slogged her way through four piles of ironing.
她辛辛苦苦一连熨了四堆衣服。
【拓展】slog n. 艰苦的工作；长期的努力
【例】Writing the book took ten months of hard slog.
这本书是苦熬十个月写出来的。
But they’re also getting more help from AI than ever before. Through the end of May, OpenAI is offering students two months of free access to ChatGPT Plus, which normally costs $20 a month. Anthropic, xAI, Google, and Perplexity have also offered students free or significantly discounted versions of their paid chatbots.
但他们也从人工智能那里得到了比以往更多的帮助。截至5月底，OpenAI向学生提供为期两个月的ChatGPT Plus免费服务，该服务通常每月收费20美元。Anthropic、xAI、谷歌、Perplexity也向学生提供了免费或折扣力度很大的付费聊天机器人服务。
slog your way through sth 埋头苦干；辛苦地做完某事
【例】She slogged her way through four piles of ironing.
她辛辛苦苦一连熨了四堆衣服。
【拓展】slog n. 艰苦的工作；长期的努力
【例】Writing the book took ten months of hard slog.
这本书是苦熬十个月写出来的。
Maybe all of this sounds familiar. It’s reminiscent of the 2010s, when a generation of start-ups fought to win users over by offering cheap access to their services. These companies especially targeted young, well-to-do, urban Millennials.
或许这一切听起来都很熟悉。这让人想起2010年代，当时的新一代初创企业争相通过提供廉价服务来赢得用户。这些公司瞄准了年轻、富裕、城市里的千禧一代。
be reminiscent of sth 让人想起某事；与某事相似的
【例】The way he laughed was strongly reminiscent of his father.
他笑起来的样子让人很容易想起他的父亲。
【近义词】remind sb of sth 让人想起某事
well-to-do adj. 富裕的；生活优渥的
【例】a well-to-do family 富裕家庭
【近义词】rich/wealthy/well-heeled/comfortable adj. 富裕的
For suspiciously low prices, you could start your day with Pilates booked via ClassPass, order lunch with DoorDash, and Lyft to meet your friend for happy hour across town.
只需低得让人怀疑的价格，你就可以用ClassPass预订的普拉提课程开启一天的生活，用DoorDash点午餐，再用Lyft叫车，去城市另一头与朋友共度欢乐时光。
play out 上演；发生
【例】The debate will play out in the media over the next week or two.
辩论将在接下来一两周在媒体平台上进行。
【近义词】happen/unfold v. 发生；上演
These companies, alongside countless others, created what came to be known as the “Millennial lifestyle subsidy.” Now something similar is playing out with AI. Call it the Gen Z lifestyle subsidy.
这些公司，连同无数其他公司，共同创造了所谓的“千禧一代生活方式补贴”。如今，类似的情况正在人工智能领域上演，不妨称之为“Z世代生活补贴”。
play out 上演；发生
【例】The debate will play out in the media over the next week or two.
辩论将在接下来一两周在媒体平台上进行。
【近义词】happen/unfold v. 发生；上演
The current discounts come at a cost. There are roughly 20 million postsecondary students in the U.S. Say just 1 percent of them take advantage of free ChatGPT Plus for the next two months. The start-up would effectively be giving a handout to students that is worth some $8 million.
目前的这种折扣是有代价的。美国约有2000万名大学生，假设仅有1%在未来两个月内使用免费的ChatGPT Plus，那么这家初创公司实际上将向学生发放价值约800万美元的补助。
handout n. 免费分发的东西；救助；传单；讲义
【例】On page two of your handout you will find a list of books.
在讲义的第2页，你们会看到一份书单。
government handouts for earthquake victims
给地震灾民的政府救济品
【拓展】hand sth out to sb 把某物分发给某人
rounding error 舍入误差；零头
【例】The final calculation was off by 0.003 because of a rounding error.
由于舍入误差，最终计算结果差了0.003。
【拓展】round v. 四舍五入
【例】11.3 is rounded to 11.
11.3四舍五入，变成11。
In Silicon Valley, $8 million is a rounding error. But many students are likely taking advantage of multiple such deals all at once.
在硅谷，800万美元只是个零头。但许多学生很可能在同时享受多项此类优惠。
handout n. 免费分发的东西；救助；传单；讲义
【例】On page two of your handout you will find a list of books.
在讲义的第2页，你们会看到一份书单。
government handouts for earthquake victims
给地震灾民的政府救济品
【拓展】hand sth out to sb 把某物分发给某人
rounding error 舍入误差；零头
【例】The final calculation was off by 0.003 because of a rounding error.
由于舍入误差，最终计算结果差了0.003。
【拓展】round v. 四舍五入
【例】11.3 is rounded to 11.
11.3四舍五入，变成11。
Today’s giveaways put OpenAI and companies like it only further in the red for now, but maybe not in the long run. After all, Millennials became accustomed to Uber and Lyft, and have stuck with ride-hailing apps even as prices have increased since the start of the pandemic.
现在的赠送服务让OpenAI等类似公司在目前亏损更多，但从长远来看或许并非如此。毕竟，千禧一代习惯了优步和Lyft等网约车服务，而且即便自疫情开始以来价格不断上涨，千禧一代现在依然坚持使用这些叫车应用。
be in the red 负债；有赤字
【例】The company is $1 million in the red.
这家公司负债100万美元。
【近义词】be in deficit 有赤字
【反义词】be in the black/be in surplus 有盈余
If AI companies can hook young people on their tools now, they may be able to rely on these users to pay up in the future.
如果人工智能公司现在能让年轻人对他们的工具上瘾，将来或许就能依靠这些用户付费。
be in the red 负债；有赤字
【例】The company is $1 million in the red.
这家公司负债100万美元。
【近义词】be in deficit 有赤字
【反义词】be in the black/be in surplus 有盈余
The Gen Z lifestyle subsidy isn’t entirely like its Millennial predecessor. Uber was appealing because using an app to instantly summon a car is much easier than chasing down a cab.
Z世代生活补贴与之前的千禧一代生活补贴并不完全相同。优步之所以吸引人，是因为用应用程序即时叫车比拦出租车方便得多。
predecessor n. 之前出现的事物；前任
【例】The new project is better than its predecessor.
新方案比原先的好。
【反义词】successor n. 接下来的事物；继任
【辨析】precedent n. 前例
【例】without precedent 史无前例；没有前例可参考
expedite v. 加速
【例】to expedite the process 加速流程
【近义词】speed sth up/accelerate 加速
Today’s chatbots also sell convenience by expediting essay writing and meal planning, but the technology’s impact could be even more destabilizing. College students currently signing up for free ChatGPT Plus ahead of finals season might be taking exams intended to prepare them for jobs that the very same AI companies suggest will soon evaporate.
如今的聊天机器人也通过加速论文写作和规划饮食来兜售便利，但这项技术的影响可能会更具破坏性。在期末考试季之前注册免费ChatGPT Plus的大学生正在参加各类考试，这些考试原本是为他们将来从事的职业做准备，而就是这些人工智能公司却暗示，这些职业很快将不复存在。
predecessor n. 之前出现的事物；前任
【例】The new project is better than its predecessor.
新方案比原先的好。
【反义词】successor n. 接下来的事物；继任
【辨析】precedent n. 前例
【例】without precedent 史无前例；没有前例可参考
expedite v. 加速
【例】to expedite the process 加速流程
【近义词】speed sth up/accelerate 加速
Even the most active young users I spoke with had mixed feelings about the technology. Some people “are skating through college because of ChatGPT,” Gambrell told me. “That level of convenience, I think it can be abused.”
就连我采访过的最活跃的年轻用户也对AI技术抱有复杂的感受。甘布雷尔告诉我，有些人“利用ChatGPT在大学里蒙混过关。我觉得这种程度的便利可能会被滥用。”
skate through 溜过；巧妙避开；混过去
【例】He skated through the exam without studying.
他没学习，但还是轻松混过了考试。
【近义词】muddle through 胡乱应付过去
When companies offer handouts, people tend to take them. Eventually, though, someone has to pay up.
公司提供免费赠品时，人们往往会欣然接受。但是最终总得有人买单。
skate through 溜过；巧妙避开；混过去
【例】He skated through the exam without studying.
他没学习，但还是轻松混过了考试。
【近义词】muddle through 胡乱应付过去
课后练习
What is different about this year's finals season?
A. There are fewer all-nighters due to improved study methods.
B. Students are accessing AI tools for free or at a discount.
C. Students are studying very hard for their final exams.
D. Colleges have banned the use of AI during exams.What was the purpose of the Millennial lifestyle subsidy?
A. To increase the profit by selling more services.
B. To provide high-quality services at affordable prices.
C. To attract users by offering cheap access to services.
D. To promote a new lifestyle among young city dwellers.What may the Gen Z lifestyle subsidy lead to in the future?
A. A decrease in the quality of AI services.
B. Loyal users who will pay for AI services.
C. Permanent financial losses for AI companies.
D. Protests against price increases for AI services.What is special about the Gen Z lifestyle subsidy according to the author?
A. It provides much more convenience than the Millennial version.
B. It may threaten the job prospects of the users in the future.
C. It focuses on academic assistance rather than daily life.
D. It is entirely free without any form of cost for users.
