Let’s look at the use of the word “that” in a New York Times article on artificial intelligence. What is the function of “that” in each instance? When is it optional?
1 Is it a relative pronoun defining the noun it precedes? It is also optional in informal speech. For example, “The AI application (that) he submitted was successful!”
2 Is it a structural function where it follows a verb and introduces a noun clause? I.e. after reporting verbs (say, think, know, believe) and which is often optional in informal speech. For example, “He said (that) he had used AI in his application for the job.”
3 Is it a structural “that”, meaning “that thing”? For example, “That is what I mean.”
New York Times article
An A.I. Start-Up Says It Wants to Empower Workers, Not Replace Them
Founded by researchers from Anthropic, Google and xAI, the new company, Humans&, is already valued at $4.48 billion.
As a research scientist at Anthropic, one of the world’s leading A.I. companies, Andi Peng was part of a team that tried to make sure the company’s technology didn’t tell lies or damage the mental health of the people who used it.
But she came to realize that there was a much larger problem: Like many other A.I. companies, Anthropic was trying to build technology that would systematically replace people in the work force.
Ms. Peng recently left Anthropic to help start a company with four other prominent technologists, including two researchers from Elon Musk’s xAI and one of the first employees at Google.
The new company, Humans&, has embraced the notion that A.I. should empower people rather than replace them. The founders said their goal was to build software that facilitated collaboration between people — like an A.I. version of an instant messaging app — while also helping with internet searches and other tasks that suit machines.
“Anthropic is training its model to work autonomously. It loved to highlight how its models churned for eight hours, 24 hours, 50 hours by itself to complete a task,” Ms. Peng said. “That was never my motivation. I think of machines and humans as complementary.”
Executives at other tech companies may chafe at the criticism that they are building systems meant to replace human workers. But a number of big thinkers in Silicon Valley believe that A.I. will replace millions of workers in the coming years. Others argue that the new technology will create jobs that haven’t been imagined yet.
Either way, the arrival of Humans& is a clear sign that the money being poured into A.I. start-ups shows little signs of slowing, even as many financial analysts and industry insiders warn of an A.I. bubble.
Test yourself. Which use of “that” is in each instance? 1, 2 or 3 from the rules above? Which ones are optional if in informal speech?
Can you spot the sentence where the optional “that” was not included?
- a team that tried to make sure the company’s technology didn’t tell lies
- But she came to realize that there was a much larger problem:
- Anthropic was trying to build technology that would systematically replace people …
- The new company, Humans&, has embraced the notion that A.I. should empower people
- The founders said their goal was to build software that facilitated collaboration between people
- … other tasks that suit machines.
- “That was never my motivation …”
- But a number of big thinkers in Silicon Valley believe that A.I. will replace millions of workers …
- Others argue that the new technology will create jobs that haven’t been imagined yet.
- … the arrival of Humans& is a clear sign that the money being poured into A.I. start-ups …
Answer key
- a team that tried to make sure the company’s technology didn’t tell lies 1
- But she came to realize that there was a much larger problem: 2 optional
- Anthropic was trying to build technology that would systematically replace people … 1
- The new company, Humans&, has embraced the notion that A.I. should empower people 2 optional
- The founders said their goal was to build software that facilitated collaboration between people 1
- … other tasks that suit machines. 1
- “That was never my motivation…” 3
- But a number of big thinkers in Silicon Valley believe that A.I. will replace millions of workers … 2 optional
- Others argue that the new technology will create jobs that haven’t been imagined yet. 2 optional
- … the arrival of Humans& is a clear sign that the money being poured into A.I. start-ups … 2 optional
Did you spot the one where the optional “that” was not included?
The founders said (THAT) their goal was to build software …
________________________________________________
Author: Carol Waites
Presentation/editing by Christina O’Shaughnessy
https://worldwidewriting.org/
________________________________________________
Carol Waites (PhD)
Email: carolswritingtips@gmail.com
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