OpenAI and Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP are offering free, in-person workshops designed to help older adults become more comfortable using ChatGPT. The program will reach about 1,000 people in 10 communities across the United States, with lessons covering everyday uses for ChatGPT as well as online safety and scam awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For someone using ChatGPT for the first time, an in-person class may feel much more approachable than trying to figure everything out alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Older Adults AI Skills Jam gives participants an opportunity to try ChatGPT with help from trained instructors. Workshops are being held through Senior Planet locations and other community organizations that already work with older adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first group of participating communities includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local partners include Senior Planet, the Mirowitz Center, Senior Community Services, FiftyForward, the Nashville Public Library, Fresno EOC and LEARN Idaho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The workshops are part of a longer-term partnership between OpenAI and OATS. According to OpenAI, questions and feedback from participants will also help shape future learning materials for older adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The classes focus on ordinary tasks rather than technical explanations of how artificial intelligence works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, an older adult might ask ChatGPT to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ChatGPT can be useful for getting started, organizing thoughts or turning complicated wording into something easier to understand. However, it can make mistakes. Important medical, legal and financial information should always be confirmed with a qualified professional or another trusted source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interest in these tools appears to be growing among older adults. OpenAI reports that the share of U.S. ChatGPT messages associated with people age 55 and older increased from 6 percent to nearly 10 percent over one year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Online safety is an important part of the workshops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scammers often try to create panic. A message may claim that a family member is in trouble, an account will be closed or a payment must be made immediately. Other warning signs include demands for secrecy, suspicious links and requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency or personal financial information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The workshops teach a simple response: pause, think and ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pausing before responding can make a real difference. If a message appears to come from a bank, government agency or family member, contact that person or organization through a telephone number or website you already trust. Do not use the contact information contained in the suspicious message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ChatGPT may help identify warning signs in the wording of a questionable message, but it should be treated as a second opinion\u2014not a final answer. Avoid entering Social Security numbers, passwords, banking information, medical records or other sensitive personal details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many older adults are interested in new technology but would like someone nearby to answer questions as they learn. A community workshop allows participants to move at a comfortable pace, ask for clarification and practice with real examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also gives instructors a chance to address concerns that may not come up in a general online tutorial. Participants can ask what information is safe to share, how to check an answer and what to do when ChatGPT produces something that does not seem right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Holding the sessions through established community organizations may also make the program feel more welcoming. Participants are learning in familiar places rather than being expected to attend a technology conference or complete an online course on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The initial program is relatively small, with approximately 1,000 participants spread among 10 communities. People outside those areas may need to wait for additional locations or future online resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyone interested in attending should contact the participating Senior Planet location or community organization in their area. Registration requirements, schedules and available seating may differ by location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is also worth remembering that the classes are specifically about ChatGPT. They are not a general course covering every artificial-intelligence product. That narrower focus may be helpful for beginners because participants can spend more time practicing with one tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday communication, shopping, customer service and online search. Older adults should have the same opportunity as anyone else to understand these tools, decide when they are useful and recognize when caution is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A free class will not answer every question, but it can provide a comfortable starting point. Learning how to ask clear questions, check an answer and slow down when something feels suspicious are useful skills both online and off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keywords: ChatGPT workshops, older adults, scam awareness, online safety<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Free ChatGPT Workshops Will Help Older Adults Use AI More Safely Summary OpenAI and Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP are offering free, in-person workshops designed to help older adults become more comfortable using ChatGPT. The program will reach about 1,000 people in 10 communities across the United States, with lessons covering everyday uses […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":179,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,11],"tags":[19,18,20],"class_list":["post-176","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai-safety","category-general-ai-news","tag-chatgpt-workshops","tag-older-adults","tag-scam-awareness"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t