Ever wondered whether smartphones will actually be able to read better than us humans in the future?
Experts think so. A report published by Project Literacy – an organisation involved in improving human literacy rates – suggests that by 2027 machines like smartphones and AI assistants will have higher literacy levels than almost two million Brits.
It also says machine literacy already exceeds the literacy abilities of 1% of the UK population who are non-literate.
Sounds quite scary doesn’t it? Well you are not alone in thinking something isn’t quite right about this.
The project is being supported by actress Lily Cole, who is calling for more to be done to tackle the literacy crisis.
Cole said: “Technology has helped us achieve amazing things. But, in focusing on empowering our technology, this research shows how we have lost sight of the importance of empowering our people.
“Whilst technological progress is important, enabling our species by bridging the gap between literacy and technology is vital.”
*Gets a book (any book) out and starts reading immediately.*