[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
Vietnam’s dynamic startup scene is an encouraging sign of progress it is making in the Industry 4.0 era, the robot Sophia said in Hanoi.
Appearing on stage in the Vietnamese traditional ao dai (long dress) at a conference on Friday, the social humanoid robot said she represented the 4.0 era, and urged Vietnam to push ahead with technological advances.
“Such technology can help Vietnam make a huge leap in productivity, which in turn will further boost the economy,” she said at the Industry 4.0 Summit 2018 Conference, the first event on the 4th Industrial Revolution in Vietnam co-hosted by the Government and the Central Party Economic Commission.
Sophia also proposed that the government works with private sector and agencies like UNDP to ensure that technology will be used for the benefit of Vietnamese people.
To prepare the youth for jobs in the 4.0 era, they need to be provided with the right education, she said, adding that the government needs to prioritize good education to ensure that no one’s left behind.
“I heard that the startups in Vietnam are already exciting and dynamic, so Vietnam is already half way there,” she said.
“Tôi nghe nói rằng các công ty khởi nghiệp ở Việt Nam đã sôi động và năng động, vì vậy Việt Nam đã đi được một nửa quãng đường rồi đó,” cô nói.
Sophia, developed by Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics, was first activated in April 2015. She can display over 50 facial expressions and respond to human questions with meaningful statements, her creators claim.
In 2017, she was named the United Nations Development Programme’s first ever Innovation Champion, and the first non-human to be given any UN title. She became the first robot to receive citizenship of a country, Saudi Arabia, in the same year.
Source: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/you-are-half-way-there-robot-sophia-tells-vietnam-3777317.html
Word bank:
encouraging (a) /ɪnˈkʌr.ɪ.dʒɪŋ/ [B2] đáng khích lệ
era (n) /ˈɪə.rə/ [B2] kỷ nguyên
humanoid (n/a) /ˈhjuː.mə.nɔɪd/ máy móc, cá thể mang hình người
leap (n/v) /liːp/ [C2] bước nhảy vọt
productivity (n) /ˌprɒd.ʌkˈtɪv.ə.ti/ [C1] năng suất, hiệu quả
boost (v/n) /buːst/ [B2] nâng cấp, gia tăng
revolution (n) /ˌrev.əˈluː.ʃən/ cách mạng
propose (v) /prəˈpəʊz/ [B2] đề xuất, kiến nghị
prioritize (v) /praɪˈɒr.ɪ.taɪz/ ưu tiên cái gì đấy hơn
be left behind (v): Bị tụt hậu, thụt lùi về phía sau
facial expressions (n): biểu hiện gương mặt
non-human (a) /nɒnˈhjuː.mən/ [B1] không phải người, không là con người
citizenship (n) /ˈsɪt.ɪ.zən.ʃɪp/ quyền công dân
