New Group Helps People Control AI

The Power of 'Can' and 'Cannot'

In this story, we see how to talk about rules and possibilities. To reach A2, you need to master how to say what is allowed.

1. The Basic Logic

• Can $\rightarrow$ It is okay. (Example: AI can use this art.)
• Cannot $\rightarrow$ It is not okay. (Example: AI cannot use my voice.)

2. How to use it in real life If you want to set a rule, use this simple pattern: [Who] + can/cannot + [Action]

• I can help you.
• They cannot steal.

3. Quick Note on 'Can' Notice that 'can' never changes. We don't add 's' or 'ing'.

• He cans $\rightarrow$ He can
• They cannoting $\rightarrow$ They cannot

⚡ The Power of 'Passive' Logic

At the A2 level, you usually say: "Cate Blanchett started a company." This is clear, but it is basic. To move toward B2, you need to shift your focus from who did it to what happened.

Look at this phrase from the text:

*"RSL Media was created to set standards..."

Notice how the focus is on RSL Media, not the people who started it. This is the Passive Voice. In a professional or academic B2 context, the action is often more important than the person.

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🛠️ How to build this bridge

To turn an A2 sentence into a B2 sentence, follow this movement:

A2 (Active): $\text{AI developers use personal details.}$ $\rightarrow$ (Simple, focused on the actor) B2 (Passive): $\text{Personal details are used by AI developers.}$ $\rightarrow$ (Professional, focused on the data)

The Formula: $\text{Object} + \text{to be (am/is/are/was/were)} + \text{Past Participle (v3)}$

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🔍 Spotted in the Wild

Check out these examples from the article that use this logic to sound more authoritative:

• "...which was already used by over 1,500 organizations." (The organizations are the users, but the protocol is the star of the sentence).
• "...permissions into digital signals that machines can read." (While this is active, the B2 transition involves using relative clauses like "that machines can read" to add detail without starting a new sentence).

💡 Pro Tip for Fluency

Stop using "Someone said..." or "They did..." when describing news or reports. Start using:

• "It is claimed that..."
• "It was decided to..."

This subtle change moves you away from "everyday conversation" and toward "independent user" (B2) status.

The Architecture of Nominalization: From Action to Institution

To ascend from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond describing events and begin conceptualizing them. The provided text is a masterclass in nominalization—the linguistic process of turning verbs (actions) or adjectives (qualities) into nouns. This is the hallmark of high-level academic and legal English, as it allows for a higher density of information and a more objective, detached tone.

◈ The 'Abstract Shift'

Observe how the text avoids simple subject-verb-object constructions in favor of complex noun phrases. This shifts the focus from who is doing what to what the phenomenon is.

• B2 Approach: "AI is spreading rapidly, and there aren't enough rules."
• C2 Execution: "...the rapid proliferation of generative AI... a perceived regulatory vacuum."

By transforming the verb proliferate into the noun proliferation, the writer creates a stable object that can be modified by the adjective rapid. Similarly, the lack of rules becomes a "vacuum," treating a negative absence as a tangible entity.

◈ Precision through 'Operational' Lexis

C2 mastery requires the use of specialized terminology that describes the implementation of an idea. Note the sequence of conceptualization in the text:

1. Initiative $\rightarrow$ Endeavor $\rightarrow$ Operationalization

This progression moves from a general plan to a focused effort, and finally to the actual technical process of making it work. Using "operationalization" instead of "starting the project" signals to the reader that the writer possesses a sophisticated grasp of institutional and systemic logic.

◈ Nuanced Distinction: Appropriation vs. Inspiration

At the C2 level, vocabulary is not just about 'big words,' but about binary precision. The text contrasts appropriation with inspiration.

• Inspiration: A cognitive process (internal, creative, transformative).
• Appropriation: A legal/ethical act (external, possessive, extractive).

By framing the dispute as a choice between these two nouns, the text elevates a simple argument into a philosophical and legal debate, stripping away emotional language to maintain an analytical distance.