Introduction

Classes have sprung up to teach seniors about AI’s ability to transform their lives – and the threats the technology poses.

Learning About AI

NORTHFIELD, Ill. — The students – most with gray hair, some with canes, all at least in their 60s – couldn’t believe what they were hearing. “Oh, my God,” whispered a retired college professor. “Does it come with viruses?” wondered a bewildered woman scribbling notes in the second row. A 79-year-old in a black-and-white floral shirt then asked the question on many minds: “How do you know if it is fake or not?”

This is how older adults – many of whom lived through the advent of refrigeration, the transition from radio to television and the invention of the Internet – are grappling with artificial intelligence: taking a class. Sitting in a classroom in an airy senior center in a Chicago suburb, the dozen students were learning about the latest – and possibly greatest – technological leap in their lives.

Benefits and Threats

Older adults find themselves in a unique moment with technology. Artificial intelligence offers significant benefits for seniors, from the ability to curb loneliness to making it easier for them to get to medical appointments.

However, it also has drawbacks that are uniquely threatening to this older group of Americans: A series of studies have found that senior citizens are more susceptible to both scams perpetrated using artificial intelligence and believing the types of misinformation that are being supercharged by the technology.

Real-Life Experiences

Barbara Winston, 89, who attended a class at the North Shore Senior Center in Northfield, expressed her thoughts: “I saw ice boxes turn into refrigerators, that is how long I have been around, … And I think (AI) is probably the greatest technical revolution that I will see in my lifetime.”

Winston left the class to start her own AI journey, even if others remained skeptical. When she got home, she downloaded books on the technology and queried ChatGPT about how to treat a personal medical ailment.

Encouraging Skepticism

Classes like these aim to familiarize aging early adopters with the myriad ways the technology could better their lives but also encourage skepticism about how artificial intelligence can distort the truth. Balanced skepticism, say experts on the technology, is critical for seniors who plan to interact with AI.

Conclusion

Seniors who have taken such AI classes said they came away with a clear understanding of AI’s benefits and pitfalls. “It’s only as good as the people who program it, and the users need to understand that. You really have to question it,” said Linda Chipko, a 70-year-old who attended an AI class in June in suburban Atlanta.