Imagine a room full of people over 50 swapping questions about ChatGPT, artificial intelligence and the ways new technology can make everyday life easier. At LIFE Senior Services, topics once associated with younger generations are finding an eager new audience.
LIFE Senior Services connects older adults across Northeastern Oklahoma with programs and resources that promote healthy aging, independence and connection. Its classes have long covered practical topics such as Medicare and cell phone use, but two recent additions have generated especially strong interest: artificial intelligence and online dating for seniors. Both have drawn enthusiastic participation, with the online dating class attracting one of the largest enrollments of any class the organization has offered.
“There’s a misconception that seniors don’t know how to use computers and are afraid of technology,” says Lauren Zeligson, communications specialist at LIFE Senior Services.
The first online dating class for seniors was offered in conjunction with Valentine’s Day, but it’s proven so popular it’s won a regular place in the lineup. Many of the class participants were widowed and entering the dating pool for the first time in decades. They wanted to know all the facts about how online dating works before they dive in. The class introduced seniors to the range of online dating platforms available, noting that paid sites may offer an added layer of protection against scammers.
Continuing on the topic of tech, instructor Brooke Sconyers recently led a class that took a deep dive into artificial intelligence. “AI can feel mysterious,” she explains, sharing that her class is aimed to help students “demystify what it is, how they’re already interacting with it (perhaps unknowingly) and how they can use it for everyday tasks.”
Sconyers notes that while AI can have many uses in the workplace, people can also use it to improve their own personal processes, like creating a meal plan or organizing a mahjong night with friends. Of course, she also has safety tips for folks to keep in mind, like making sure your privacy settings are up to date and keeping in mind that AI can hallucinate nonfactual answers.
“You should always assume anything you put into AI could become public, so never share passwords or private data,” she warns, adding, “you can’t trust blindly what you get out of AI. You have to verify it through your own independent research. Treat AI as an assistant, let it help draft or brainstorm, but always remember to be the final say on what you use or believe from AI.”
Those interested in taking a LIFE EDU course can enroll by phone at 918-664-1000 or by visiting lifeseniorservices.org. They are open to any senior in the community.
