Future Tense: Chapters 5–8

by Martha Brockenbrough
This work of nonfiction discusses the past and future of artificial intelligence, from its earliest precursors to the ways it might impact society as it develops.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–12, Chapters 13–16, Chapters 17–20, Chapters 21–23
15 words 6 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. stalwart
    a person who is loyal to their allegiance
    Another stalwart was Fei-Fei Li, then an assistant professor at Princeton.
  2. replicate
    reproduce or make an exact copy of
    When images are compiled based on those terms, they replicate the bigotry with image labels.
  3. bigotry
    intolerance and prejudice
    When images are compiled based on those terms, they replicate the bigotry with image labels.
  4. entrench
    fix firmly or securely
    Without the developers intending this, search results can entrench offensive and harmful stereotypes and biases.
  5. stereotype
    a conventional or formulaic conception or image
    Without the developers intending this, search results can entrench offensive and harmful stereotypes and biases.
  6. systemic
    affecting an entire structure, network, or complex of parts
    In 2019, an art project called ImageNet Roulette showed systemic bias in the ImageNet collection.
  7. monopolize
    have or exploit an exclusive control of something
    But there’s a risk, too, that a small number of companies with access to computing arrays and technical expertise will monopolize the power, influence, and capital that comes with it, which will not necessarily be good for humanity.
  8. configuration
    an arrangement of parts or elements
    Not only are there more possible configurations of a Go board than a chessboard, the game also has more possible variations than there are atoms in the universe.
  9. initiative
    a new strategy or plan to solve a problem or improve a situation
    Good players can take initiative, intimidate their opponents, and be creative about making sacrifices.
  10. intimidate
    compel or deter by or as if by threats
    Good players can take initiative, intimidate their opponents, and be creative about making sacrifices.
  11. angst
    an acute but unspecific feeling of anxiety
    It’s a symbol of the angst that emerged in the Industrial Revolution, when machines were built that could do the work of human beings faster, cheaper, and often better—concentrating wealth in the hands of industry titans while reducing wages for every laborer.
  12. sentient
    endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness
    Human beings have great capacity for empathy, which is why Lee Sedol imagined his opponent as sentient.
  13. savvy
    marked by practical hardheaded intelligence
    But Jennings was a savvy player.
  14. contention
    the act of competing as for profit or a prize
    Luck with the Daily Doubles could bring him back into contention.
  15. generalize
    draw from specific cases for broader cases
    We learn and generalize with a small amount of data.
Created on Thu Jun 25 07:58:57 EDT 2026 (updated Tue Jul 28 11:41:53 EDT 2026)

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