Should Seniors Be Worried About Artificial Intelligence? What I’ve Learned Using AI at 79

Artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere lately.

Turn on the news and you’ll hear that AI is going to change the world.

Some people say it will make our lives easier. Others warn that it could eliminate jobs, make scams more convincing, spread false information, and even create national-security problems.

If you’re over 60, you may be wondering:

Should I be worried about AI?

I’m 79 years old, and I’ve been using artificial intelligence myself.

I’ve used it to research subjects, work on my website, understand technology, organize ideas, and answer questions that come up in everyday life.

And I’ve learned something important.

I don’t think seniors should be afraid of artificial intelligence. But I definitely don’t think we should blindly trust it either.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

AI Is a Tool — And a Remarkably Powerful One

When I first started using AI, I certainly didn’t understand everything about it.

I still don’t.

But you don’t have to understand exactly how an automobile engine works to drive a car.

The same is becoming true of artificial intelligence.

I can ask a question in ordinary English and receive an explanation almost immediately. I can ask follow-up questions when I don’t understand something. I can use it to brainstorm ideas, explain unfamiliar technology or help me organize something I’m working on.

For someone my age, that’s pretty remarkable.

Technology doesn’t always get easier as we get older. Sometimes it feels as though everything requires another password, another app or another account.

AI can actually make some of that easier.

But there is another side to it.

AI Can Be Wrong

This may be the most important thing I’ve learned.

AI can give you an answer that sounds completely confident — and still be wrong.

I’ve experienced this myself.

That’s why I don’t consider AI the final authority on important questions.

If I’m dealing with something involving money, health, taxes, legal matters or another important decision, I want to verify the information.

That’s a good rule for anyone, regardless of age:

Use AI to help you think. Don’t let it do all your thinking for you.

Scammers Have AI Too

This is probably the part that concerns me most for seniors.

The same technology that can help us can also help criminals.

Artificial intelligence can make fraudulent emails sound more professional. It can help create realistic-looking photographs and videos. Voice-cloning technology can even imitate someone’s voice.

Imagine receiving a telephone call that sounds like your grandson saying:

“Grandpa, I’m in trouble. Please don’t tell Mom and Dad. I need money.”

Years ago, an unusual voice might have helped expose the scam.

Today, that may no longer be enough.

That’s why the old advice about trusting what you see and hear needs updating.

Slow down. Verify. Call the person yourself using a number you already know.

AI makes that habit more important than ever.

I Recently Saw How Easy It Is to Be Fooled

Not long ago, I received an unexpected email with a PDF attachment.

The sender’s name looked like an ordinary person’s name.

Instead of opening the attachment, I checked the actual email address behind the displayed name.

It was a strange Gmail address that had nothing obvious to do with the person supposedly sending the message.

I didn’t open the attachment.

I deleted it.

Was artificial intelligence responsible for that particular email? I don’t know, and I wouldn’t claim that it was.

But it demonstrated something important:

Technology changes. Good judgment doesn’t.

Checking before clicking is still one of the simplest ways to protect yourself. This is another great related article to check out Why Scammers Target Older Adult.

What About All These Warnings About AI?

There are legitimate concerns about artificial intelligence that go far beyond scams.

Cybersecurity experts and government agencies are studying how AI could be misused for cyberattacks, impersonation, misinformation and attacks against important computer systems. At the same time, AI is also being developed as a tool to strengthen cybersecurity and national defense.

That tells me this isn’t a simple question of AI is good or AI is bad.

It’s powerful technology.

And powerful technology can usually be used both ways.

We saw something similar with the Internet.

The Internet gave us instant communication, online banking, medical information, video calls with grandchildren and access to knowledge that would have been unimaginable when I was young.

It also gave criminals entirely new ways to steal from people.

We didn’t stop using the Internet.

We learned to use it more carefully.

I think AI will require the same approach.

What Concerns Me More Than AI Itself

I worry about seniors deciding that all of this is simply too complicated and giving up on new technology altogether.

I don’t think that’s the answer.

At 79, I’m still learning.

I make mistakes. I get frustrated. Sometimes I have to ask the same question more than once.

But I’d rather understand this technology than pretend it doesn’t exist.

AI is likely to become part of banking, healthcare, customer service, shopping, travel, automobiles and many other parts of everyday life.

We don’t need to become computer experts.

But we should understand enough to protect ourselves and take advantage of the things that genuinely make life easier.

Five Rules I Follow When Using AI

I’ve developed a few simple rules for myself:

1. I don’t assume AI is always right. Important information gets checked elsewhere.
2. I don’t give AI passwords, Social Security numbers, banking information or other information that doesn’t belong there.
3. I remain suspicious of unexpected emails, attachments, telephone calls and urgent requests for money.
4. I ask questions when I don’t understand something. One of AI’s greatest advantages is that you can keep asking.
5. I make the final decision. AI can provide information and ideas. My judgment still matters.

None of these rules requires being particularly good with technology.

Mostly, they require common sense. This is another great article to check out 5 Simple Ways to Stay Safe Online After 60.

Should Seniors Be Afraid of AI?

No. But we should respect what it can do.

I wouldn’t tell someone my age to avoid the Internet because scams exist.

And I wouldn’t tell them to avoid artificial intelligence for the same reason.

Instead, learn a little at a time.

Ask questions.

Verify important information.

Protect your personal information.

And don’t allow anyone—human or artificial—to rush you into making an important decision.

At 79, one advantage I have over younger technology is something it can’t manufacture overnight:

79 years of life experience.

Artificial intelligence may be able to process information much faster than I can.

That doesn’t mean it has to do my thinking for me.

And maybe that’s the best way for those of us over 60 to approach AI:

Use the technology. Enjoy what it can do. Learn from it. But keep your own judgment firmly in the driver’s seat.

Final Thought

Artificial intelligence isn’t going away.

I believe the better question isn’t:

“Should seniors be afraid of AI?”

It’s:

“How can we learn to use AI without allowing AI—or the people who misuse it—to take advantage of us?”

That’s a conversation worth having.

And at 79, I’m still learning right along with everyone else. Another article worth checking out Grandparent Scam article.