又中又英 | Digital Nomads | 褚简宁

　　There is now no doubt that artificial intelligence, commonly called AI, is the new frontier that will radically change the way we live. Countries such as the US, China, and the United Kingdom have made the research and improvement of their AI capabilities a top priority. A new frontier can mean an unexplored land mass. The American continent was a new frontier for Westerners centuries ago. A new frontier can also mean an unexplored scientific or technological area. Going to space and developing the internet were new frontiers. The internet, computers, and smartphones have changed our lives in a way that was unimaginable just a few decades ago.

　　During the Covid lockdowns, people could still work remotely online with their computers. Students could attend classes using computers and the internet. There are no more Covid lockdowns but some companies, especially in the West, still allow employees to work online from home. The combination of the internet, laptops, and smartphones have also created a new group of people known as digital nomads. Nomads are people who travel from place to place and have no permanent homes. A digital nomad is a person who travels from place to place and earns a living online with a laptop or smartphone.

　　Digital nomads are mostly web developers, bloggers, and freelance journalists. I am also a digital nomad. I don’t have a permanent home and file my columns from different places. AI is already changing our lives in ways unimaginable just years ago. When I open a blank page with Microsoft Word to write my column, it offers to write it for me! I never use it because I don't think AI can do my type of columns.

　　毫无疑问，俗称AI的人工智能，会是彻底改变我们怎样生活的新境界（new frontier）。像美国、中国和英国这些国家，都已将研究和发展其人工智能力量定为头等大事。A new frontier可以是指未经勘探的地块，好几个世纪以前，对于西方人来说，美洲就是一个全新的边疆（new frontier）。A new frontier也可以解作一个尚未探索的科技领域。从前，向太空进发和发展互联网，都是全新的领域（new frontier）。互联网、电脑、智能电话改变了我们的生活方式，是仅仅数十年前所难以想像的。

　　新冠肺炎疫情封城期间，人们仍能远距离用电脑上网工作，学生亦能用电脑和网络上课。现在已再无疫情封城，但一些国家，尤其在西方的，仍然容许雇员在家上网工作。结合网络、手提电脑和智能电话，亦创立了一群人叫作digital nomads。Nomads是游牧民，没有固定居所，四处移居；digital nomad则是数码游牧，运用手提电脑或智能电话，就能四处移动，上网办公谋生。

　　数码游牧（digital nomads）通常都是网页开发者、博客作者，以及自由工作的记者。我也是个数码游牧民（digital nomad）。我没有固定长远的家，会从不同的地方交专栏稿件。人工智能已经改变我们的生活方式，是仅仅几年前所不能想像的。当我在微软文档开一个空白页，准备撰写专栏文章时，它竟然提出可以为我撰写！我从不会用它，因为我不认为人工智能可以写到我这样风格的专栏。

[email protected]
Michael Chugani褚简宁  
中译：七刻