Ready or not AI has become an undeniable part of our daily conversation. And, surprisingly AARP is an organization taking an extremely proactive approach. While AARP is known for a cornucopia of resources and benefits for folks 50 and older there actually is NO minimum age limit for becoming an AARP member.
To quote Edward C. Baig a tech writer for aarp.org, ”None of us are going to put the AI genie back in the bottle, so it’s going to be imperative to understand what it is and how it’s going to change how we work, live and play.” And AARP is working hard to put AI in context, “as a tool to be used and a potential hazard to avoid.”
While focused on seniors the organization offers a robust portfolio of tips, training, news updates and resources for all of us interested in navigating the rapidly shifting AI landscape. This includes articles in their magazine on how tax preparers are using AI to file tax returns, and asking questions like, “Can you tell the difference between what’s real and what’s AI? AARP also takes a look at Google’s announcement that AI is going to change the way people search….. and what that means to you.
According to a 2023 AARP survey, 9 out of 10 adults prefer to stay in their homes as they age. The organization has some suggestions of how AI might help caregivers and family members look after them. Laurie M. Orlov is an AI industry analyst and founder of The Aging And Health Technology Watch website which focuses on aging in place. According to Ms. Orlov, “AI is going to be extremely helpful in mitigating gaps (in support) and care for us as we get older.” In fact, AI and machine learning may already be doing just that. In a recent article she pointed out that seniors are already combining Wi-Fi and AI to detect environmental and behavioral changes and patterns in the way seniors speak, move around, or don’t move as much.
A number of factors have converged to create a literal crisis in senior caregiving. First just navigating the industry, services, needs and care quality is complicated, frustrating and confusing. There is virtually no substantive infrastructure to guide families through the process. “What do you do when your parents health is literally falling apart and someone has to care for them?” Asks Kitty Eisele former NPR reporter and host of Twenty-Four Seven: A Podcast About Caregiving. Looking to the federal government you’ll find a maze of disparate resources. In addition, there is a well-publicized lack of workplace support for caregivers. And, add to that the huge financial burden hefted on to families for caregiving. There is an extreme shortage of qualified and appropriately trained caregiver service providers. Further there is a serious lack of appropriate transportation options. And according to Ann Oldenburg, former USA Today reporter with a degree in Aging and Health, “There are serious inequities and a disproportionate burden on populations of color.”
That said, in an AARP article by Edward C. Baig, he quotes Rick Robertson VP and General Manager of the Age Tech Collaborative of AARP, “the quality of AI driven digital support we’re going to see soon will provide significant answers.” And for sure AARP is carving out a significant niche in being a valuable resource for all things AI, including videos like “4 Tips To Get The Most Out of AI,” to spotlighting how criminals are using AI to create SCAMs. And there’s Senior Planet, an AARP virtual community which offers free live online, and in some locations in-person, classes on a range of topics including AI. Remember you don’t need to be age 60. In fact, while AARP is focused on those 50 and older there is no minimum age to join.
Some upcoming live online AI courses include; Using ChatGPT For Trip Planning, Building Your Own Hyperreal Avatar/Voice Cloning , What’s AI, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, Beware of Deepfakes and AI For Beginners Workshop-Using Tools like ChatGPT And Gemini.About. Other resources include articles in their bulletin and magazine like “How To Talk To Kids About AI.”