Sometimes I pause and ask myself a simple question:
How many technological revolutions can one person witness in a lifetime?
For someone of my generation, the answer is: quite a lot.
When I was a small boy, perhaps six years old, I often heard adults talking about a fascinating first elevator a new machine in 华人行 the China Building in Central on Hong Kong Island.
In those days, the idea that a machine could carry people quickly up many floors sounded both amazing and a little frightening. People warned each other to be very careful when entering or leaving the elevator. A careless step, they said, could lead to serious accidents.
For a child listening to these stories, the elevator felt almost mysterious.
Today, of course, we step into elevators without giving them a second thought.
Learning the Mechanical Typewriter
When I was about eighteen, I enrolled at the Pitman Typing Centre at Nathan Road Kowloon to learn typing. The typewriter at that time was purely mechanical.
Typing required real effort. Each letter had to be struck firmly on the keys. After long practice sessions, my fingers often felt sore. But typing was considered an important professional skill, and mastering it opened doors in the working world.
Later, when I was working at Abbott Laboratories Hong Kong, I saw something new in the office: electric typewriters.
Compared with the heavy mechanical machines, the electric typewriters were remarkable—faster, quieter, and much easier to operate. It was my first clear experience of how technology could suddenly transform everyday work.
Discovering the Early Personal Computer
Another exciting moment came when I bought an OEM Apple computer from Golden Plaza, Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po, one of Hong Kong’s famous electronics markets.
Computers in those days were not simple devices. You had to type commands and experiment to make things work. It required patience and curiosity.
But I enjoyed the process immensely. Entering commands and seeing the computer respond felt like discovering a new frontier.
Personal computers then evolved rapidly—from the early 286 processors to the 386, 486 then the Pentium and beyond. Each generation became faster and more powerful. Computer monitors also improved dramatically, moving from bulky monocolor screens to the sleek and colorful displays we see today.
Sometimes the speed of technological progress felt almost unbelievable.
Office Automation and the Paperless Dream
Years later, while working at Ciba-Geigy in Hong Kong (now known as Novartis), I served as a logistics officer and was also a member of the Office Automation Committee.
Our mission was to explore ways to make office work more efficient using technology. Even back then, we were already discussing the idea of a “paperless office.”
Looking at today’s digital workplace—with emails, shared documents, and cloud storage—it is interesting to realize that many of those early ideas eventually became reality.
The Transformation of the Automobile
Cars also went through a remarkable transformation.
When I first learned to drive, all vehicles used manual transmission. Drivers had to control the clutch and change gears constantly.
When automatic transmission became available, many people were skeptical. Some believed automatic cars were less reliable or less enjoyable to drive.
But over time, convenience proved irresistible. Today, automatic transmission has become the norm, and many younger drivers have never even driven a manual car.
The Mobile Phone Revolution
Another invention that changed our lives dramatically is the mobile phone.
In the early days, mobile phones 大哥大 were large, heavy devices used mainly for business calls. They were expensive and not very convenient.
Then technology advanced quickly. Mobile phones became smaller, lighter, and more powerful. Eventually, they evolved into smartphones—devices that combine phone calls, cameras, internet access, navigation, messaging, and countless applications in one small device we carry in our pockets.
Today, our mobile phones are not just communication tools. They are our cameras, maps, newspapers, entertainment systems, and sometimes even our wallets.
It is truly one of the most remarkable transformations of modern life.
The One Constant: Change
Looking back over these experiences—from elevators and mechanical typewriters to personal computers, smartphones, and automated cars—one lesson becomes very clear.
Change is constant.
Technology continues to evolve, whether we welcome it or not.
At this very moment, another major transformation is unfolding through artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and many other AI applications.
People are reacting in familiar ways—some are excited, others are curious, and some are worried about the future.
Interestingly, these reactions sound very similar to what people once said about elevators, computers, and automation.
History seems to repeat itself.
A Personal Reflection
As I write this, I realize that my life has allowed me to witness an extraordinary journey of innovation.
From mechanical typewriters to artificial intelligence, I have watched machines become faster, smarter, and more capable.
But perhaps the most important lesson is this:
Technology will always continue to change. What truly matters is whether we are willing to stay curious and keep learning.
For me, discovering new tools—even at this stage of life—is still exciting.
After all, the journey of learning never really ends.
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從升降機到人工智能：我一生見證的科技變遷
有時候我會停下來問自己一個簡單的問題：
一個人一生之中，究竟可以見證多少次科技革命？
對我們這一代人來說，答案其實是：相當多。
當我還是一個小孩子，大概六歲左右的時候，常常聽到大人談論香港島中環商業大廈裡的一種新奇機器——升降機。
在那個年代，高樓大廈本身已經象徵著現代化，但一部機器能在短短幾分鐘內把人送到高樓層，對很多人來說既神奇又有點可怕。大人們總是提醒彼此，上落升降機時一定要小心。一不留神，關門時可能會發生意外。
對一個小孩子來說，升降機聽起來就像一種既神秘又令人敬畏的機器。
而今天，我們走進升降機時，幾乎連想都不會多想一下。
學習機械打字機的年代
十八歲左右，我報讀了 Pitman 打字訓練中心學習打字。那時候使用的打字機完全是機械式的。
打字並不像今天這麼輕鬆。每一個字母都需要用力敲擊鍵盤。長時間練習之後，手指常常感到酸痛。但在那個年代，打字是一項非常重要的職業技能，掌握了這項技能，對年輕人踏入職場很有幫助。
後來我在 Abbott Laboratories 工作時，第一次看到辦公室裡有人使用電動打字機。
與沉重的機械打字機相比，電動打字機簡直像是一場小小的革命——速度更快、聲音更小、操作更輕鬆。那是我第一次深刻感受到科技如何能夠改變日常工作的效率。
初次接觸個人電腦
後來有一次，我在深水埗鴨寮街買了一部 OEM 的 Apple 電腦。鴨寮街一直是香港著名的電子產品市場。
那個年代的電腦並不像今天這樣簡單易用。你必須輸入各種指令，慢慢嘗試和摸索，才能讓電腦運作。
這需要耐心和好奇心。
但我卻非常享受這個過程。當你輸入指令，然後看到電腦做出回應時，那種感覺就像打開了一扇通往新世界的大門。
之後個人電腦的發展速度驚人。從最早的 286 處理器，到 386、再到 Pentium，每一代都變得更快、更強大。電腦顯示器也從笨重的屏幕，逐漸發展成今天輕薄清晰的顯示器。
科技進步的速度，有時真的讓人覺得難以追趕。
辦公室自動化的時代
多年後，我在香港的 Ciba-Geigy 公司（今天的 Novartis）工作，擔任物流主任，同時也是公司「辦公室自動化委員會」的成員之一。
我們的任務是研究如何利用科技讓辦公室運作更加高效。其實在那個時候，我們已經開始討論「無紙化辦公室」的概念。
回頭看看今天的工作環境——電子郵件、數碼文件、雲端儲存——會發現當年那些看似前衛的構想，很多已經成為今天的日常。
汽車的變革
汽車的技術演變同樣非常有趣。
當我最初學習駕駛時，大多數汽車都是手動波。司機需要不斷踩離合器、換檔。
當自動波汽車開始普及時，很多人其實是有疑慮的。有些人認為自動波不夠可靠，也有人覺得駕駛樂趣會減少。
但時間證明，方便往往會勝出。今天，大部分汽車都採用自動波，很多年輕司機甚至從未駕駛過手動波汽車。
手機革命
另一項深刻改變我們生活的發明，就是手機。
早期的手機體積大、重量重，而且價格昂貴，主要是商務人士使用。
但科技很快就改變了一切。手機變得越來越小、越來越輕，也越來越強大。後來更演變成今天的智能手機。
現在的手機不只是用來打電話。它同時也是相機、導航、新聞來源、娛樂平台，甚至可以當作電子錢包。
小小一部手機，卻集合了無數功能，的確是現代生活中最令人驚嘆的科技之一。
唯一不變的是改變
回顧這些經歷——從升降機、機械打字機，到個人電腦、智能手機和自動波汽車——有一個非常清楚的體會：
世界唯一不變的，就是改變。
科技會不斷進步，不論我們是否準備好接受。
而此刻，我們正站在另一個科技轉折點上——人工智能。
像 ChatGPT 這樣的 AI 工具正在快速發展。人們對它既好奇又興奮，同時也帶著一些擔憂。
其實，這些反應和過去人們面對新科技時的心情非常相似。
歷史似乎總是在重複。
一點個人的感想
寫到這裡，我忽然意識到，自己的人生其實像坐在科技進步的第一排座位上。
從機械打字機到人工智能，我看著機器變得越來越快、越來越聰明、越來越強大。
但或許最重要的一件事是：
科技會一直改變，但真正重要的是我們是否保持好奇心。
只要願意學習，新科技就不再是令人害怕的東西，而是人生旅程中另一段有趣的探索。
而對我來說，即使到了今天，能夠接觸和學習新的工具，依然是一件令人興奮的事情。
畢竟，學習的旅程，其實永遠不會結束。
也許未來的世界會由人工智能改變，但真正決定未來的，仍然是人類保持學習與好奇的心。
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