How AI Could Enhance Seniors’ Lives

Everybody loves to bash Artificial Intelligence systems like ChatGPT, but there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic

People fear change, it’s a natural reaction to the unknown.

• “The human body will rip apart at those speeds!” said critics of steam-powered trains in 1825.
• “Television will destroy families and make people anti-social and lazy,” said the critics in 1927.
• “Video games will lobotomize our children.”
• “The Internet, cell phones, computers, and social media will turn society into a race of zombies.”

Well, it turns out that passengers on speeding trains get to keep all their limbs, our children are productive citizens, and zombies are nowhere to be found.

Oops.

Any new technology can be frightening, but more often than not, it turns out to be quite helpful.

Chat GPT and other natural language AI programs may be unsettling right now, but we’re perched on the threshold of a brave new world and if everything goes well, it could be spectacular.

Chat GPT is quirky. Get over it.

Chat GPT is a software program that uses natural language to communicate. Like a brilliant grad student, it reads, studies, and learns from others. Since it’s a machine though, we call it ‘artificial intelligence’ (which brings to mind the vision of Terminators destroying the planet).

Thirty years ago most of us didn’t care much about software programs or the Internet but look around you now. It would be almost impossible to exist without them. They do far more good than bad.

Do you remember the insipid beeps and boops from the DSL connection when you hooked your computer up to the phone so you could go online? ChatGPT is in that same nascent mode right now. It’s young and immature yet in time will be stitched into the fabric of your life just as the Internet is now.

“It makes mistakes!” It’s easy to bash new technologies when they aren’t perfect. Well as you know, people aren’t perfect either and we manage to get along with most of them.

Should we expect perfection in the early stages of new technology? Of course not.

We should learn all we can and be vigilant instead.

The future is now

Just as we didn’t know how computers or phones would evolve when they first came out, we don’t know exactly where AI natural language programs will take us.

What we do know is that these programs are a logical and expected progression of technology.

Nobody likes to type cryptic-sounding queries into Google to get millions of irrelevant answers and just as many ads. Nobody likes to ask Alexa for the weather report and get polka music instead. But we do.

We’d rather be able to talk naturally and have our technologies ask us to clarify our requests when it doesn’t understand.

Enter: ChatGPT.

Seniors have unique needs. We don’t see and hear as well, we have growing health concerns, social and isolation issues, physical limitations, and challenges with bewildering technologies that we didn’t grow up with.

It sure would be nice if at any time of the day or night we could ask a simple question about any topic, and get a pretty good answer.

How AI systems like ChatGPT will help seniors

Data Security

Right now, thousands of copies of your personal information reside in computers, cookies, websites, and databases all over the world. That‘s a terrifying thought, isn’t it?

The future offers a tantalizing promise of a single copy of a personal virtual “vault” that stores only what you put there and makes portions of it available with your permission.

Your data is available only when you personally allow access — temporary or permanent. And you can revoke permission at any time.

When a doctor needs to know about your medications, you can give them access. Your broker can interact with a portion of your finances. Friends can see your calendar, family knows where you are.

You’ll have a single, accurate, real-time copy of all personal information in one location, protected by your voice, face, or fingerprint. No more need to remember (or write down) hundreds of passwords.

Health

We’ll own devices (like watches, rings, cameras, and blood pressure cuffs) that connect to the AI system that will monitor our health, send updates, and give alerts when we need medications or interventions.

It will notify emergency services when we fall down and can’t get up.

It will schedule virtual or in-person appointments and take care of all the paperwork and insurance.

It will badger you (if desired) to get up off your couch and exercise. It’ll keep track of your physical exertion, showing graphs of your progress and celebrating milestones with you.

You can ask it medical questions that it will answer in the context of your personal health profile and double-check with your provider if you need expert input.

Personalized services

AI devices will recognize your voice, image, location, and more. In a crowded room at the theater or bus stop you’ll be able to chat with a public device and it will know who you are and answer accordingly.

“Where did I park my car?” as you leave the theater.

For the first time, it’ll be effortless to get [mostly] accurate and individualized information. You simply ask.

“What floor is my doctor on?” as you step onto the elevator.

“Where is the best gas station?” as you drive down the freeway.

“What’s the name of Rita’s daughter again?” as you forget everything.

Further, if you find it’s wrong you can correct it with a simple statement. “My doctor is on the third floor, you idiot!” and it will update its records. It’s a computer so it won’t take offense.

Social

Lack of companionship can be a big problem as we age. Spouses and friends die, we become housebound, we get lonely.

“See if the kids are available to chat.”

“What’s going on downtown today?”

“Let’s play a card game.”

Pets provide companionship, but that’s not always possible. And pets can’t talk or challenge us intellectually — chat systems can.

“Show me profiles of some local singles that might interest me.”

“What do you think I should do today?”

“Let’s meditate.”

Chat systems will be able to initiate conversations on their own, too. You could tell them to ask questions or offer observations when the house is quiet for too long. They never get tired or cranky and will shut up whenever you ask.

It remembers what book you’re reading and where you left off. It knows what poetry you like, and which topics interest you. It may not cuddle up in your lap and purr, but it will provide a welcome measure of comfort and companionship when you need it most.

Technology

Seniors didn’t grow up with technology and as a result, we often find it inscrutable. AI can fix that.

“Find a TV program that I’ll like.”

“Play last night’s American Idol episode.”

You’ll never have to touch a remote again.

“What did I do to my phone, I can’t make it work!”

If the AI system can connect to, and monitor, other systems but when it can’t fix something on its own it will have a respectful conversation with you about how you can diagnose and fix it yourself. It will ask you questions and walk you through the process without the exasperation and impatience you’d get from most humans.

Customer service itself will likely be an AI chat system. You won’t have to navigate a phone tree, wait hours for help, get transferred, or scream “operator!” into the phone anymore. You’ll have an infinite supply of friendly and patient — and deeply knowledgeable — robots to help you.

Finance

What used to be simple can become difficult and aggravating as we age. Remembering to pay bills, transfer money, do taxes, and balance the checkbook will be infinitely easier with the help of an AI financial assistant.

Further, your investments can be monitored and even traded automatically (although that level of trust may still be worrisome). At the very least, you and your broker will be sent notifications of market anomalies, CD maturations, dividends, tax events, and more.

“How did I do on my budget last month?”

“The market is going down, what’s a good financial strategy right now?

You’ll save and protect your money, and lower expenses

“Where’s the cheapest place to buy flowers?”

“How can I lower my heating costs?”

“Where can I get a senior discount on that?”

One of the biggest benefits you’ll see is when AI systems monitor finances and trigger fraud alerts to yourself, your family, or caregivers.

There’s more…

The ideas offered above are just a tiny peek into a potential future. As AI improves you’ll see more dramatic opportunities that will change the lives of seniors for the better.

For example:

• Mental health monitoring and counseling
• Mobility assistance
• Personalized medications based on your genetics
• Individualized physical and medical treatment plans
• Cognitive and memory assistance and enhancement
• Continuing education

ChatGPT and other AI platforms have the potential to commit plagiarism, cheat, mislead, influence, steal, and frighten the hell out of people, but don’t forget they also have the potential to improve lives.

Don’t forget the good parts. Be patient, they’ll be here soon.

*NOTE: ChatGPT was not used to write this article.

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