Yesterday, after lunch at One Chinese Cuisine restaurant near Bayview and Elgin Mills, Julie and I joined a few friends across the street at Tim Hortons.
Just coffee. Nothing special.
But the moment stayed with me.
At one table, a group of us—baby boomers—sat talking about AI, its impact on jobs, and what kind of future our grandchildren might face.
The tone was thoughtful, but also quietly worried.
At another table, not far from us, were groups of students.
Some were drinking coffee. Some were eating donuts. They were laughing, relaxed, and carefree. You could see the happiness on their faces.
And I couldn’t help but notice the contrast.
When we were young, life was very different.
Most families were not well off. We had little or no pocket money. Going out for coffee and snacks like this was not part of our daily life.
What we see today is a generation growing up with far more material comfort and freedom.
In that sense, they have much more than we did.
But as we sat there talking about AI and the future, I wondered—
Will their path really be easier?
We all agreed on one thing.
As baby boomers, we have been a fortunate generation.
We lived through decades of growth and increasing opportunity. Life was not always easy, but the direction was often clear.
Now, the world feels different.
Technology is advancing rapidly. The future is less predictable. And the challenges facing the younger generation may not be visible on the surface.
They may have more materially.
But they may also face more uncertainty.
Sitting in that coffee shop, watching those students and listening to our own conversation, I felt we were witnessing a quiet intersection of past and future.
And perhaps our role now is not to compare—but to understand, to keep learning, and to stay connected to the generations coming after us.
As for me, I have decided to keep learning AI—so I can better understand the world they are growing into.
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If you’re curious about how to begin using AI in daily life, I’ve been documenting my own journey step by step:
👉 Day 1: New to AI - Start here
You don’t need a technical background.
Just curiosity—and a willingness to try.
從我們的過去，到他們的未來：咖啡店裡的一點感想
昨天，在 Bayview 和 Elgin Mills 附近The One Chinese Cuisine Restaurant 吃完午餐後，我和 Julie 跟著幾位朋友走到對面的 Tim Hortons 喝咖啡。
只是喝杯咖啡，沒有特別的安排。
但這一刻，卻讓我印象深刻。
我們這一桌，是一群嬰兒潮一代的朋友，聊著人工智能（AI）、它對工作的影響，以及我們的孫兒將來會面對一個怎樣的世界。
氣氛是理性的，但也帶著一點隱隱的擔憂。
而在不遠的另一桌，是幾群學生。
有的在喝咖啡，有的在吃甜甜圈。他們輕鬆地聊天、笑著，臉上流露出單純的快樂。
這樣的畫面，讓我不禁產生對比。
我們年輕的時候，情況很不一樣。
那時大多數家庭並不富裕。我們沒有零用錢，也不會像現在這樣，隨意坐在咖啡店裡吃喝聊天。
今天的年輕人，在物質條件和生活自由方面，確實比我們當年豐富得多。
從這個角度來看，他們擁有的更多。
但當我們在討論人工智能與未來時，我心中也不禁浮現一個問題：
他們的路，真的會更容易嗎？
我們一致認同一點——
作為嬰兒潮一代，我們是相對幸運的一代。
我們經歷了經濟成長與機會增加的年代。生活未必輕鬆，但大方向往往是清晰的。
而現在，世界似乎變得不一樣了。
科技發展迅速，未來更難預測，而年輕一代將面對的挑戰，未必是表面看得到的。
他們在物質上擁有更多，
但同時，也可能面對更多不確定性。
坐在咖啡店裡，看著那些學生，再回想我們的對話，我感覺自己正站在一個過去與未來交會的時刻。
或許，我們這一代的角色，不是去比較誰更好，
而是去理解、去學習，並且與下一代保持連結。
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