Business English Bits Issue 238
The 10-min homework newsletter that supports your advanced business and English language learning through Youtube video reports and highlighting vocabulary ...
Greetings to this edition of Business English Bits, I hope you are having a productive Tuesday morning!
For today’s highlighted report - Issue 238 - we are back with one of my favourite sources the FT. The FT produces some amazing videos and it’s always worth checking out the Ft.com site for new content.
This video report looks at how agentic AI is entering everyday business operations. From HR departments to logistics and to all other areas of the company, these agents can call the shots* on various tasks, such as candidate selection process and recruitment onboarding to stock control and customer service. These AI agents can take decisions and act autonomously or they can work with human supervision.
*To Call the shots (ph) - To be in charge and make the important decisions
Journalist, Isabel Berwick, looks at the innovation behind these tools and asks various experts for their opinion on what the near future holds. There is a lot of hype* around this subject with many people worried about their futures within the workforce.
*Hype (n) - Intense publicity, promotion, or excitement
I think that this report gives and interesting overview*, and can possibly help us take on* this new ‘revolution’ and prepare for this huge shift in the way we work. Enjoy the video….
*Overview (n) - General summary
**To Take on (pv) - To accept responsibility, work, or a challenge
Focus on some key new verbs from the video …
VIDEO: FT (12mins) - Agentic AI - How bots came for our workflows and drudgery
Key Words - (Smth = Something; Sb=Someone; Col=Colloquial)
Pressing (adj) – Urgent and requiring immediate attention
Remit (n) – Area of responsibility, authority, or task assigned to sb
To Unveil (v) – To officially introduce or announce something new
Briefing (n) – Short meeting or document providing key updates or instructions
To Embed (v) – To integrate deeply and firmly within a system, process, or culture
To be on board (ph) – To agree with and support an initiative, plan, or decision
Innings (n) – A phase, period, or opportunity in a career or project
Drudgery (n) – Tedious, repetitive, and uninteresting work
Knock-on (adj) – Indirect or secondary effect of an action or decision
Renowned (adj) – Widely recognised and respected for excellence in a field
Hardwired (adj) – Ingrained or instinctive; difficult to change because it is built-in
Wary (adj) – Cautious or concerned about potential risks
To Grapple (v) – To work hard to resolve a difficult problem
To Scrape (v) – To collect with difficulty or in small amounts; also to extract data
Headlong (adj) – Done hastily and without sufficient consideration
To Finesse (v) – To handle a situation delicately and skilfully
To Tune (v) – To refine for better performance or alignment
Guinea Pig (ph) – A test subject for a new idea, product, or initiative
Buzz (n) – Excitement, talk, or attention generated around something new
To Outstrip (v) – To surpass, exceed, or outperform
To Unfold (v) – To develop gradually and reveal over time.
Word of the Day … Guess the missing key word - Answer given below with examples!
Some new idioms to review from recent reports …
Word of the Day Answer:
Relish (v) - To greatly enjoy
Examples:
“She relished the opportunity to lead the international expansion project.”
“The team relished the challenge of competing against larger rivals.”
I hope you’ve found this issue of Business English Bits useful for your AI knowledge ….
See you tomorrow for the phrasal verb test!
Kevin