King Charles Warns AI Must Stay Under Control

He used the phrase "existential danger." That sounds serious.

Yes, it does. He said the danger comes if AI falls into the wrong hands.

He also said these technologies could be used in catastrophic ways.

So this was not just a polite meeting.

It was a warning.

Exactly. The summit brought together company leaders, the UK AI Minister, and the Pope's advisor.

People from Nvidia, OpenAI, and Anthropic were also there.

That is an unusual mix of people in one room.

What was the main idea behind the meeting?

The main idea was simple.

How can AI help society, but stay safe?

The King said the task is not only to advance technology.

He said it must stay in service of humanity, community, and the natural world.

Did the industry leaders agree with that concern?

Some did, yes. Nvidia boss Jensen Huang said safety is paramount.

He said companies should hold back a product if it is not safe enough.

That sounds like a strong message from the companies themselves.

It does. Huang also spoke about open models.

These give users direct access to the software.

He said they can help researchers, universities, start-ups, and countries.

So the debate is not only about danger.

It is also about access.

Yes, and that is the tension here.

Some people want faster progress.

Others want tighter rules and more checks.

The summit was also about a shared set of principles.

People wanted them for the future use of AI.

Thanks, Grace.

A researcher found a tiny old fragment hidden in a library book.

Now we go to Noah, our LinguaWire correspondent for culture.

Thanks, Daniel. This find came from early Christian manuscripts in the Netherlands.

A researcher named Dr. Mark de Kreij found the fragment at Utrecht University.

And the date on this is amazing.

More than 1,700 years old.

Yes. He found it while studying ancient papers at the university.

He made the discovery about two years ago.

But the university only announced it this week.

So the news is new, even if the find is old.

Exactly. He noticed a tiny slip of paper between the pages.

At first, people thought it was from the 7th century.

But that was not the final answer.

No. De Kreij knows Greek.

He saw language from Homer's Odyssey on the paper.

He recognized it as part of the poem.

That must have been a great moment for him.

It was. He told Dutch media that everyone who learns Greek learns Homer.

He also said, "I have the best job in the world."

A nice quote from a very lucky researcher.

Very lucky, and very patient too.

The university says the fragment dates to about 300 AD.

It is one of only about 30 such fragments in the world.

So this is not just a pretty old page.

It is very rare.

Yes, and it is about the size of a playing card.

The paper has moisture stains.

Both sides have writing on them.

What does the fragment actually come from in the poem?

It comes from the 12th book of the Odyssey.

That is the part where Odysseus tells about his sailors and the sacred cattle.

So even the old piece came from a dramatic part of the poem.

Exactly. De Kreij said many parts of the Odyssey are boring.

But this one is fun.

Thanks, Noah.

Let’s look at three useful words from the second story.

the fragment

It means a small broken piece. The university called it “a tiny slip of paper.” Example: I found a fragment of glass.

the manuscript

It means an old handwritten text or book. In the story, the fragment was found in early Christian manuscripts. Example: The museum kept the manuscript in a dry room.

rare

It means not common. The university said there were only 30 such fragments. Example: That stamp is rare.

the fragment dates to about 300 AD

We use this pattern for he, she, or it in the present simple.

Example one: The university says the fragment dates to about 300 AD.

Example two: She works at the library and loves old books.

Repeat after me: The university says the fragment dates to about 300 AD