The Tech We Need to Fight Workplace Ageism | Piyachart Phiromswad | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Shelley Tsang 曾雯海

So by the year 2050,

到 2050 年，

there are going to be more than two billion people

將會有超過二十億人

who are older than 60 years old,

年齡超過六十歲，

and it has been estimated that around 80 percent

且，據估計，這二十億人中約有 80%

of these two billion people

will live in low- and middle-income countries,

生活在中低收入的國家裡， 大致上也可說是開發中國家裡。

which is roughly the developing countries.

It is currently a common belief, globally,

目前，在全球，一般都認為，

that senior citizens should not work,

年長者不應該工作、不需要工作，

do not need to work,

and therefore, there is no reason for companies to create jobs for them.

因此，企業也沒有理由 要為他們創造工作機會。

I think this kind of thinking,

我認為，就是這種認為 年長者就業不重要的觀念

the thinking that senior employment is inessential,

is actually the seed of a major problem that could impact a lot of lives,

造成了一個重大的問題，

影響到許多人生活，

especially the lives of people in developing countries.

開發中國家的人尤其會受影響。

To explain to you why, let me show you a diagram,

讓我用一張圖來跟各位解釋為什麼，

and let me call this diagram a negative aging spiral.

我把這張圖稱為「負面老化螺旋」。

Imagine a 50-year-old living in a developing country.

想像有一個五十歲的人，

生活在一個開發中國家。

The chance that this person will work later on will be slim,

這個人將來還會工作的可能性很小，

so this person is not going to invest in their skill,

所以這個人不會投資他自己的技能，

might not even invest in their health,

甚至可能不會投資自己的健康， 因為這種投資沒有報酬。

because there's no return from this investment.

Then, at the age of 60,

然後，六十歲時， 這個人不再工作了，

this person is going to stop working,

because it's a common thing to do in these countries.

因為在這種國家，大家都是如此。

And then after that, many bad things could happen.

在那之後，有很多 不好的事可能會發生。

For example, this person might not have enough savings,

比如，這個人的儲蓄可能不夠， 或也許根本沒有儲蓄，

or maybe no savings at all,

and now there’s no more employment opportunity.

而現在也沒有就業機會了。

This person might feel lost, feel hopeless, feel lonely.

這個人可能會感到 迷失、無望、寂寞。

This person might even feel

這個人甚至可能會覺得 繼續活著也沒意義了。

like there's no purpose to continue living.

So it seems like, for many people in developing countries,

所以，似乎，對開發中 國家的許多人而言，

there's going to be suffering through the process of population aging.

人口老化的過程會帶來苦惱。

Is there anything we can do differently?

我們能採取什麼不同的做法嗎？

For me, as an economist

我是個經濟學家，

who has been working on this topic of population aging,

一直在研究人口老化的主題，

especially in the context of developing countries,

特別關注開展中國家的狀況， 已經投入多年心血，

for many years,

I have been puzzled by these questions,

而這些問題一直讓我很困惑，

但我想我找到了一個答案。

but I think I've got an answer.

我認為有一種很棒的 催化劑，我們可以用它來

I think the best catalyst that we can use to break the negative aging spiral

打破負面老化螺旋，

and unlock the power of population aging

並解鎖人口老化的力量，

is to create something called senior employment technologies

那就是創造所謂的年長者就業技術，

and use it to democratize senior employment.

用它來實現年長者就業的民主化。

What is senior employment technology?

年長者就業技術是什麼？ 這種技術能用來減少或排除

It is a technology that can be used to reduce or remove

physical and cognitive barriers for work for senior citizens.

年長者在工作時 遇到的身體及認知障礙。

Like people wearing glasses today,

就像現在大家會戴眼鏡，我們用眼鏡

which we use to erase or remove our vision problem,

來解決我們的視力問題。

senior employment technology

我們可以用年長者就業技術

is something that we can use to transform senior employment

將年長者就業從稀缺轉變為充足。

from scarcity to abundance.

But unfortunately,

但不幸的是，多數人

this aspect of technology has been overlooked

都忽視了科技的這個面向。

by a lot of people.

When we actually think about it,

好好想想看，

senior living assistive technologies are quite common,

年長者生活輔助技術算是相當普遍，

but not so much in terms of senior employment technologies.

年長者就業技術卻不然。

And in the context of, for example, developed countries,

而且，比如，在已開發國家，

these technologies do exist to some extent,

某種程度上這類技術確實存在，

but in the context of developing countries,

但在開發中國家，

these technologies are largely nonexistent.

通常都沒有這類技術。

So if we could create senior employment technologies

所以，如果我們能創造

年長者就業技術，

and use our imagination to think about what it could be,

並用我們的想像力來想想 它可能會是什麼樣子的呢？

what would it look like?

Let me give you guys a couple of examples.

讓我舉一些例子。

第一種年長者就業技術可以稱為

The first group of senior employment technologies

is something that can be called physical augmentation technologies.

身體增強技術。

There are two types of physical barriers to work.

影響工作的身體障礙可分為兩類。

The first one is physical barriers at work.

第一類是工作上的身體障礙。

So as we age, we tend to lose some of our physical abilities.

隨著年齡增長，我們通常 會失去一些身體能力。

For example, we lose our muscle strength,

例如，我們會失去肌力，

we might lose our hand and finger dexterity.

我們可能會失去手和手指的靈活性。

Now, let's imagine the possibility

讓我們想像一下這個 可能性：我們可以創造出

we could create cheap and accessible exoskeleton technologies,

便宜且易取得的外骨骼技術，

which is a suit that a senior citizen could wear,

做成服裝的形式，年長者可以穿上，

and this suit can be used to augment, for example, trunk muscles,

這件外骨骼裝可以用來 增強比如軀幹的肌肉，

and the senior citizen can actually use it to lift something heavy,

年長者穿著它就可以舉起重物，

but it doesn't feel that heavy.

且毫不費力。

Now, if we actually think about it,

仔細想想看，

this aspect of technologies could be pretty important

科技的這個面向

在開發中國家其實挺重要的，

in the context of developing countries,

because a lot of people in developing countries

因為在開發中國家， 很多人在工作上會需要大量

actually use their body or their labor, a lot, for work.

使用他們的身體或勞力。

Next, let’s imagine the possibility we could create

再來，

咱們來想像另一種 可能性：我們可以創造

cheap and accessible collaborative robots, or "cobots" in short,

便宜且易取得的合作式機器人， 簡稱「協作機器人」，

which is often in the form of robot arms,

形式通常是機器手臂。

and these robot arms can be used as an extra steady hand

這些機器手臂可以當作 額外的手來幫助穩定，

that a senior citizen could use to recover their hand and finger dexterity,

它們可以彌補年長者

手和手指的不靈活問題，

especially for work that requires precision.

特別適合用在需要很精準的工作上。

One interesting use case for this

舉個有趣的應用例子，比如，

could be ... senior surgeons in developing countries.

發展中國家的資深外科醫生，

We can all agree that we wouldn't want a surgeon with a shaky hand

大家應該都認同

我們不希望有一位手會抖的外科醫生

to do anything near our body.

對我們的身體做任何事吧？

But these technologies can help senior surgeons

但若有這些技術，就能協助

技術精湛知識豐富的資深外科醫生，

with amazing skill, amazing knowledge,

to still make a significant contribution.

繼續做出重大貢獻。

And we know, in the period of population aging,

我們知道，在人口老化的時期，

surgeons, doctors will be in great shortage.

外科醫生和其他醫生都會很短缺。

The next physical barrier to work

和工作相關的第二類障礙

is the physical barrier in getting to work itself.

是前往工作時遇到的身體障礙。

So as we age, things like getting stuck in traffic

隨著年齡增長，

塞在車陣當中、

or being in congested public transportation for so long

長時間處在擁擠的交通工具中、

only to take a long walking distance

步行很長的距離等等，

could be a major barrier to work for many senior citizens.

對許多年長者而言 都可能是種工作的重大障礙。

Now, if a job does not require a physical presence,

如果工作的性質 是不需要親自到現場的，

let’s imagine the possibility that remote working technology such as Zoom

咱們想像一下這樣的可能性：

遠距工作技術，比如

Zoom 或也許未來會有元宇宙，

or maybe, in the future, the metaverse,

can be used to completely remove the journey to work itself,

它們可以完全取代前往工作的旅途，

and allow senior citizens to work from anywhere,

讓年長者可以在任何地方工作，

any time, or maybe any country.

任何時間，在任何國家都可以做事。

If a job does really require a physical presence,

如果工作的性質 確實需要親自到現場，

let’s imagine the possibility of smart city technologies.

咱們來想像一下這種可能性：

比如智慧城市技術，

One aspect of smart city technology

它的其中一個面向著重

is focused on optimizing city transportation resources

將城市交通資源做最佳運用， 做法是透過收集資料、

by collecting data, information,

from sensors or cameras,

資訊，來自感測器或攝影機，

and using it to improve the journey to work for senior citizens

用它們來改善年長者去工作的路程，

so that their journey to work can be better and safer.

讓他們去工作的路程 能更好、更安全。

The second group of senior employment technologies

第二種年長者就業技術被稱為

is something that can be called cognitive augmentation technologies.

認知增強技術。

So as we age, we also tend to lose some of our cognitive abilities.

隨著年齡增長，我們也會 失去一些認知能力。

For example, we tend to lose our ability to memorize things

例如，我們可能會失去記憶的能力，

or our abilities to compare pictures, objects,

或者比較圖片、物體的能力，

which is called perceptual speeds.

這稱為感知速度。

Let’s imagine the possibility that maybe our cell phone, our laptop

咱們想像一下這樣的可能性：也許

我們的手機、筆記型電腦， 或者虛擬實境眼鏡，

or maybe virtual reality glasses

can be equipped with cognitive augmentation software

可以搭載認知增強軟體，

powered by artificial intelligence,

背後由人工智慧來驅動，

which can be used as a companion brain.

可以扮演智囊夥伴。

So in the future, this device can be used to help senior citizens,

在未來，這個裝置可以用來協助

年長者和年長的工作者，

senior workers,

to show them work-related information as needed,

在他們需要的時候提供 工作相關的資訊給他們，

so they don't need to memorize everything --

他們就不用什麼都記得了——

which would be great for me right now, too --

對現在的我來說也會很有用——

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

help enhance, for example, perceptual speeds

舉例來說，協助強化感知速度， 當年長工作者和年長者

when senior workers, senior citizens need to identify objects or find defects,

必須要辨識物體或找出瑕疵時，

and they can actually make the final decision better and faster.

這就能協助他們更快 做出更好的最終決策。

Of course, beyond the physical and cognitive barriers

當然，除了

我剛才提到的身體和認知障礙，

that I have mentioned,

we still need to find a way to remove social barriers to work,

我們還得想辦法消除 工作的社會障礙，

which is called ageist beliefs.

也就是對年齡歧視的信念。

It's the belief that senior citizens

也就是認定了年長者的 生產力一定比不上

are always less productive than younger workers

較年輕的工作者， 不論任何職業都一樣。

for any kind of occupation.

我認為年長者就業技術 能讓我們更有機會

I think senior employment technologies can take us one step closer

to removing, or maybe significantly reducing ageist beliefs.

消除或也許大量減少 年齡歧視的信念。

I think if we can do this thing, we can break the negative aging spiral

我認為，如果我們能做到它，

就能打破負面的老化螺旋，

and create something that can be called a positive aging spiral.

創造所謂的正面老化螺旋。

Imagine a 50-year-old living in a developing country,

想像有一個五十歲的人， 住在一個開發中國家，

but in this case, this person actually invests in their skill,

但在這個例子裡，這個人 既投資他自己的技能，

this person actually invests in their health,

也投資他自己的健康，因為他知道

because they know this investment will be valued.

這些投資是有價值的。

And not only that,

不僅如此，這個人也真的 期盼著人生中的下一段旅程。

this person actually looks forward to the next journey in their lives.

Then at the age of 60, senior citizens who are qualified to work,

在六十歲時，

符合資格可以工作的年長者

或者靠著年長者就業技術協助 就可以符合品質的年長者，

or could become qualified to work,

because of senior employment technologies,

and need or want to work,

如果需要或想要工作，

should be able to work.

就應該可以去工作。

If we can do this,

若我們能做到這一點， 我認為我們可以實現並成為

I think we can achieve and become a wealthy and healthy aging society.

一個富裕且健康的老化社會。

So by using these senior employment technologies ...

因此，運用這些年長者就業技術……

When we think about technologies ...

當我們想到科技……當我們聽到……

some technologies might seem scary,

有些科技似乎很可怕， 有些十分讓人擔憂，

some might seem concerning.

But I think senior employment technologies is the right kind of technology

但我認為年長者就業技術 是一種對的科技，

that our world, our society needs more right now.

我們的世界、我們的社會， 此時需要更多這樣的科技。

And we can use senior employment technologies

且我們可以用年長者就業技術來轉變

to transform and democratize senior employment,

及民主化年長者就業，

from scarcity to abundance.

讓年長者就業從稀缺變為充足。

And I think we can use it to transform the lives of many people

我認為我們可以用它 來改變許多人的生活，

from suffering through the process of population aging

從因為人口老化過程而苦惱，

to flourishing in the process of population aging.

變成在人口老化過程中蓬勃發展。

Thank you very much.

非常謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）