Online Class Notes (Luca)

Vocabulary

Software 软件
eg. My computer needs a software update

Artificial Intelligence
eg. Artificial Intelligence is used in matchmaking computer software.

Couple (two people who are together)
eg. Those two people make a cute couple!

Residents (people who reside or live somewhere)
eg Katherine is a resident of Shanghai=Katherine resides in Shanghai=Katherine lives in Shanghai.

Matchmaking 介绍对象
e.g My grandmother was a very successful matchmaker. She introduced a lot of people who later became couples

Prefecture (Province) 省
eg. China has 34 provinces
eg Japan has 47 prefectures

Involve

1. Include 包括
   eg. I want to you be involved/included in this project
2. Requirement 条件
   eg. This project involves/requires a lot of late nights at the office.

Automate ( the machine will work by itself without any help from a human)
e.g The car is automated by its engine.

Analysis (examine in detail)
eg. For my science homework, I had to analyse the results of the experiment we did in class

Data/statistics 数据
e.g. Analysing the statistics/data of the average age of people in china, showed that china has an ageing population. 

Fertility rate (Birth rate)
eg. One child policy was designed to prevent the fertility/birth rate from increasing too much.

Decline (decrease)

Rapid (quick)

Economy 经济

Pension 退休金

Welfare 福利

retire 离职

Japan is trying to get more men and women to go on dates. It wants to increase its birth rate because there are fewer and fewer babies being born. Japan is going to use artificial intelligence (AI) to match couples and help residents find love. The government has decided to use $19 million next year to set the software up. There are already matchmaking services in half of Japan’s 47 prefectures. These involve filling out forms and answering questions on hobbies and interests. A worker then matches people based on the answers. Some prefectures are now starting AI projects to automate the system. AI software can perform a more advanced analysis of data and get better matches.

The government hopes the project will increase the size of the population. Japan’s fertility rate is one of the lowest in the world. The average number of children a Japanese woman is expected to have in her lifetime is 1.36. This figure is continuing to go down, which is why the government is trying the AI programme. A government spokesperson said: “We hope this support will help reverse the decline in the nation’s birth rate.” Japan’s population is rapidly ageing because people are living longer. The longevity rate for women is the highest in the world. This is a problem for the economy. There are fewer and fewer younger workers to pay for the pension and welfare costs of retired people.