Latest news with #DictionaryCorner
Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Expert reveals the careers that will be SAFE from AI amid fears of workplace takeover & job losses
Read on to discover the careers best places to protect yourself from an AI replacement BEAT THE BOTS Expert reveals the careers that will be SAFE from AI amid fears of workplace takeover & job losses Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COUNTDOWN star Susie Dent says she may be doing herself out of a job by helping to educate AI. The show's Dictionary Corner expert tells the bots what they get wrong, helping them to improve. 5 Susie Dent is helping AI bots improve - but might be doing herself out of a job Credit: Channel 4 5 Jobs expert Claire Sheerin explains the careers best used to avoid being replaced by AI Credit: Reuters Meanwhile, firms across the UK are slashing starter jobs as AI takes a firmer foothold, a recruitment report has warned. It said the number of entry-level positions is down almost a third since ChatGPT was launched three years ago. Chief Features Writer MATT BENDORIS speaks to a job expert to discover the careers Scots should choose to protect themselves against being replaced by artificial intelligence. SCOTS need to train for highly skilled trades if they want to guarantee a long-running career that will be untouched by artificial intelligence That's according to Claire Sheerin, the operational director for Scots-based recruitment specialists Lusona, who has nearly a quarter of a century experience in the jobs market. But she believes that there is already a major skillset shortage in Scotland, with demand for new recruits at an all-time high. 5 Scots need to train for highly skilled trades Credit: Getty 5 There's a major skillset shortage in Scotland - with demand at all-time high Credit: Getty She said: 'There's definitely huge skill shortages in Scotland for a lot of industries. 'We also have an ageing population that is actually ageing at a higher rate than the rest of the UK. 'Covid also meant that many people left their careers or retired. 'So highly skilled trades jobs are always important but even more so as the UK tries to hit its carbon emission targets. 'So as we try to retrofit our buildings, skills like heating and ventilation, air conditioning, electricity are going to continue to drive forward and can be quite lucrative. 'From a Scottish perceptive the Scottish Government knows there is a skills shortage and needs the education system to get a bigger volume of candidates that are required for the industry as we continue to decarbonise. 'It's definitely a buoyant place and will be so for the foreseeable future.' Hospitality is another area that should be shielded for the most part by advancing technology. Total automation Claire adds: 'It's possible a robot is going to bring your drink and food, and many restaurants are already using automated ordering systems. 'But again you are still going to need people to cook the food and pour the drinks even if they aren't taking your orders any more.' Warehouse work is one area that has been hit by AI and robotics, however Claire reckons that increased costs to employers are preventing a mass rush to total automation. 5 Hospitality jobs should also be shielded by advanced tech Credit: Alamy She explains: 'Fully automated warehouses is a big upfront investment. Major organisations can afford it, but smaller businesses are still scoping that out. 'They will be asking themselves if they have got the money right now? Because money is tight with the National Insurance increases so cash flows are down. 'It's not that organisations won't eventually go down that route, but for now they will only have partial automated production lines.' Many jobs in copywriting and proofreading have already been replaced by AI, but despite workers' fears that they are heading for the scrapheap, Claire maintains it won't be 'Armageddon.' She says: 'Many industries will be affected by AI, but I don't think it's quite to the extent that people fear. 'Proofreaders and copywriters will be feeling the pain now, but that should leave sales teams more time to spend with customers and on more complex tasks. 'All our clients feel they should be using AI more as they believe it will probably make life a bit easier. 'That's certainly true where we've already seen big changes in the use of chatbots and virtual assistants for banking and call centres, but that's been the trend for a while now. 'But you still need a person as those chatbots will only take a customer so far. 'Previously you would have had an office manager taking minutes and notes for meetings, but now they use AI tools for those types of things. 'That office manager is still required to be there, but now they can get involved in other tasks and deployed elsewhere.' Ultimately Claire believes that if the workforce and employers embrace AI technology it will lead to better, higher paid jobs. She says: 'We need a balanced outlook as a lot of people are scared of AI and they're not sure how their company plans to use it. 'So employers need to use training and support to get their current staff comfortable with using it, so they can see the benefits. 'Ultimately all employers do not want to lose their best talents because they know the challenges of replacing good people. 'So it's actually quite exciting from that angle as AI will free up staff to take on more challenging tasks, leading to better paid, more skilled jobs.'
Leader Live
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Countdown star Susie Dent to bring new tour to Wrexham
The Dictionary Corner favourite from Channel 4's Countdown will bring her latest show, Word Perfect, to Wrexham's William Aston Hall on Saturday, August 23. The show promises a lively exploration of the quirks, histories, and hidden stories behind everyday words and phrases. Ms Dent said: "The English language will never stop surprising and delighting me: it is as wayward as it is majestic, while the dictionary is as full of magic, drama and adventure as you will find anywhere. "I can't wait to walk down some more of its secret alleyways with the Word Perfect audiences, and to hear their own questions about our curious mother tongue." READ MORE: Musical talent and more from the Leader's photo records Ms Dent will share a fresh collection of tales and trivia from the ever-evolving world of language. Audiences can expect answers to questions such as why a group of crows is called a murder, whether the fruit or the colour orange came first, and whether regional dialects are truly disappearing. The new tour follows her previous 74-date show, The Secret Life Of Words, which ran from 2018 to 2024. Ms Dent is a writer and broadcaster best known for her long-running role on Countdown and its comedy spin-off 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. She was awarded an MBE in 2024, the same year she published her debut novel, Guilty by Definition. Ms Dent's upcoming titles, Words For Life and The Roots We Share: 100 Words That Bring Us Together, are set for release this autumn. For more information and to book tickets, visit
South Wales Argus
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Countdown star Susie Dent to appear at Monmouth theatre
The best-selling author will appear at The Blake Theatre on Sunday, September 28, with her show Word Perfect. She will unravel the mysteries of the English language, including why owls form a parliament and which orange came first, the fruit or the colour. This follows her successful 74-date tour, The Secret Life Of Words, which ran from 2018 to 2024. Speaking about her new tour, Ms Dent said: "The English language will never stop surprising and delighting me: it is as wayward as it is majestic, while the dictionary is as full of magic, drama, and adventure as you will find anywhere. "I can't wait to walk down some more of its secret alleyways with the Word Perfect audiences, and to hear their own questions about our curious mother tongue." Ms Dent has spent more than three decades in Dictionary Corner on Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. She was appointed an MBE in 2024, the same year her debut novel, Guilty by Definition, was published. She will have two new books, Words For Life, and The Roots We Share: 100 Words That Bring Us Together, released this autumn.
The Journal
29-05-2025
- General
- The Journal
How do you pronounce ‘mischievous'?
IT TURNS OUT that the word mischievous – meaning 'bad behaviour that is annoying but does not cause any serious damage or harm' – is one of the most commonly mispronounced words in English. While it's meant to be pronounced as mis-chuv-vuhs, a lot of people throw in an extra syllable and out comes mis-chee-vious. Advertisement But this pronunciation is now widely accepted in casual speech, says lexicographer Susie Dent , who has appeared in Dictionary Corner on Channel 4′s Countdown since 1992. Only two words in English end with 'ievous': mischievous, and grievous. So in fairness, it's an easy mix-up. So, tell us (be honest): How have you been pronouncing 'mischievous'? Poll Results: Mis-chee-vious (369) Mis-chuv-vuhs (299) I don't know – I'm questioning myself now... (33) I say it a different way (19) Mis-chuv-vuhs Mis-chee-vious I say it a different way I don't know – I'm questioning myself now... Vote
BBC News
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Rock' mathematician makes Countdown debut
An Oxford and Cambridge university lecturer and YouTuber has made his debut on TV quiz Tom Crawford, who has more than 200,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel Tom Rocks Maths, is the show's first-ever male is filling in as numbers expert for regular co-presenter Rachel Riley, and made his debut alongside host Colin Murray and lexicographer Susie Dent, with Sir Stephen Fry in Dictionary Corner. He told the BBC: "I still can't believe I did it. I can't believe this whole thing happened." Dr Crawford is lecturer and public engagement lead at the department for continuing education at Oxford, and a lecturer in applied mathematics at YouTube channel aims to share his love of maths "whilst trying to make it accessible for everyone".He took time out from his timetable at Oxford to watch the first pre-recorded show go out on Monday afternoon."I've scheduled in that one hour and I'm just going to sit there, have a late lunch, and watch myself in complete disbelief on TV," he said before transmission. Introducing Dr Crawford on the show, Colin Murray said: "Things are really exciting around here... we've got a new member of the Countdown family."The number cruncher, who was dressed smartly in a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, admitted to the studio guests and audience that he was a "little nervous but very excited".He was called into action several times in the numbers rounds when the contestants failed to solve the tricky calculations, working out sums on the white board to the show's conclusion, Sir Stephen joked: "He's fine. His handwriting's a little smaller than Rachel's."Ms Dent remarked: "I think he fitted right in. I'm very impressed." Dr Crawford told the BBC he received a "mysterious" email about an "interesting TV opportunity", which led to his first audition on a mock up of the Countdown set."They were throwing number puzzles at me," he explained. "And you've got the music going in the background." 'Warm fuzzies' Dr Crawford, who has a love of alternative rock music and is considering getting a new tattoo to commemorate his Countdown debut, conceded he did not have the stereotypical look of a he said: "With any profession, with any group of people, there will always be a range of people."The best email I ever received was a few years ago and it was the parent of a teenager, and it just said he was losing his way and didn't think he could become a mathematician because he was a bit alternative."And he found what I was doing and she said he changed as a person, and she just wanted to reach out to me as a mother. "I'm getting warm fuzzies thinking about it. It's crazy that I possibly have this effect on anybody, but it's so heart-warming and awesome to know that I might have." Rachel Riley, who is working on another project for three weeks while Dr Crawford picks up the baton, said: "Countdown viewers are in great hands with Tom, who is a brilliant mathematician and a lovely guy. "He's also used to people commenting on the clothes he wears, or lack of them on his show, so I am sure he will take to the role like a duck to water."Previous to Rachel Riley, Carol Vorderman looked after the numbers on the show for more than 26 was the first programme to be broadcast on Channel 4 when it launched in 1982, and has been a dependable daytime hit for the broadcaster ever since. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
