Elon Musk Doesn't Care If Tesla Workers Finished High School

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

artificial intelligence

Noun

ˌɑːrtəˈfɪʃəl ɪnˈtɛlɪdʒəns

the ability of computers to do things that are usually done by people

In the near future, some human jobs will be replaced by artificial intelligence.

graduate

Verb

ˈgræʤuˌeɪt

to finish a course of study and get a diploma, degree, etc.

I graduated from university today.

He graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, so he'll find a job easily.

I'm ready to graduate from support work and move up to a management position.

Students receive a diploma after they graduate.

necessarily

Adverb

ˌnɛsɪˈsɛrəliː

as a direct or logical result

Men are not necessarily stronger than women.

Dogs and cats aren't necessarily enemies.

hire

Verb

haɪr

to give someone a job

We just hired a new computer specialist.

We need to hire a new manager.

We are looking to hire a new head of sales.

Right now our company is interested in hiring a new sales manager.

exceptional

Adjective

ɪkˈsɛpʃənl

extremely or unusually good; unusual

I'm happy to be working for such an exceptional manager.

Extensions will only be given in exceptional circumstances.

The designers at this advertising company always do exceptional work.

Our team has exceptional taste in fashion.

ability

Noun

əˈbɪlɪtiː

talent, skill, etc. in a particular area; the fact of having the power or skill to do something

His musical ability was obvious at a young age.

He has the ability to make cards disappear.

Lack of sleep may impair your ability to work.

The most important criterion used in our CEO search was integrity, but we also looked at fundraising ability.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

Elon Musk Doesn't Care If Tesla Workers Finished High School

Elon Musk, owner of car company Tesla, is looking for new members to join his artificial intelligence (AI) research team, and he says it's okay if they haven't finished high school.

Musk began his search on Twitter with the message, "Join AI at Tesla." When an interested user asked Musk if they needed a Ph.D. to apply for the job, he replied that they did not. He added, "Don't care if you even graduated high school."

This is not the first time Musk has said that finishing high school isn't necessary to work for Tesla. In a 2014 interview with Auto Bild, he said, "There's no need even to have a college degree at all or even high school." He said that if somebody graduated from a great university, that might mean they will be able to do great things, but not necessarily.

Musk says he wants to hire people with "exceptional ability." As long as the person applying has a strong understanding of AI, they might be able to join the Tesla research team.

"If you look at, say, people like Bill Gates or Larry Ellison, Steve Jobs, these guys didn't graduate from college," he said. "But if you had a chance to hire them, of course, that would be a good idea."

Exercise 3

Questions

Who asked Elon Musk if they needed a Ph.D. to apply for a job with Tesla's AI research team?

Was this the first time Musk said that finishing high school isn't necessary to work for Tesla?

What kind of people does Musk want to hire?

Exercise 4

Discussion

Do you find it surprising that Elon Musk doesn't care whether Tesla workers finished high school? Why? Why not?

Do you think you'd be able to do your current job without the education you've had? Why? Why not?

If you were an employer, what qualities would you look for in applicants? Why?

Who would you say was the best boss you ever had? Why?

Do you think you'd enjoy working for Tesla? Why? Why not?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

What advice would you give to someone who has recently graduated high school? Please explain your answer.

What university degrees would you say are the most useful? Why?

How difficult is it to find a well-paid job without a college degree in your country? Please explain your answer.

What would you say is the most important thing you learned in school or university? Why?

I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary. – Elon Musk. What do you make of this statement?

Source

This lesson is based on an article by Wendell T. Harrison.