Tools & Platforms
Older Americans are using AI − study shows how and what they think of it
Most older adults who use AI use smart speaker assistants. Six_Characters/E+ via Getty Images
Robin Brewer, University of Michigan
Artificial intelligence is a lively topic of conversation in schools and workplaces, which could lead you to believe that only younger people use it. However, older Americans are also using AI. This raises the questions of what they’re doing with the technology and what they think of it.
I’m a researcher who studies older age, disability and technology use. I partnered with the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging to survey nearly 3,000 Americans over the age of 50. We asked them whether and how they use AI and what concerns they have about using it.
Of the older people we surveyed, 55% responded that they had used some type of AI technology that they can speak to, like Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, or type to, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot. Voice assistants were overwhelmingly more popular than text chatbots: Half of them reported using a voice assistant within the past year, compared to 1 in 4 who used a chatbot.
Popular, among some
Independent living continues to be a major goal of older Americans as they either do not want to or are unable to afford to live in long-term care communities, and AI may be a tool to support this goal. Our findings show that older adults who use AI in their homes find it helpful for living independently and safely.
They mostly used these technologies for entertainment or searching for information, but some of their responses show more creative uses, such as generating text, creating images or planning vacations.
Nearly 1 in 3 older adults reported using AI-powered home security devices, including doorbells, outdoor cameras and alarm systems. Nearly all of those people – 96% – felt safer using them.
While there has been some concern about privacy when using cameras indoors to monitor older people, cameras aimed outdoors seem to provide a sense of security for those who may be aging in their homes alone or without family nearby. Of the 35% of older adults who reported using AI-powered home security systems, 96% said they were beneficial.
AI-powered security devices such as smart doorbells make many older adults feel safer. O2O Creative/E+ via Getty Images
However, when we dove into which older adults are using AI, we saw that demographics matter. Specifically, those in better health, with more education and higher incomes were more likely to have used AI-powered voice assistants and home security devices in the past year. This pattern seems to follow adoption trends of other technologies such as smartphones.
Trusting AI is tricky
As more information about AI’s accuracy emerges, so do questions about whether people can trust it. Our survey results show that older Americans are split on whether to trust content that was generated by AI: 54% said they trust AI, and 46% said they do not. People who trusted AI more were more likely to have used some type of AI technology within the past year.
Further, AI-generated content can sometimes look correct but be inaccurate. Being able to identify incorrect information from AI is important for assessing whether and how to use AI-generated search results or chatbots. However, only half of the older people surveyed were confident that they could identify whether content from AI was incorrect.
More educated users were more likely to say they felt confident they could spot inaccuracies. Conversely, older adults who reported lower levels of physical and mental health were less likely to trust AI-generated content.
What to do?
Together, these findings repeat a common cycle of technology adoption that is pervasive even among younger demographics, where more educated and healthy people are among the first to adopt and be aware of newer technologies. This raises questions about how to best reach all older people about the benefits and risks of AI.
How can older people who are not AI users get support for learning more so that they can make informed decisions about whether to use it? How can institutions develop better training and awareness tools so that older people who trust AI avoid trusting it too much or inappropriately using AI to make important decisions without understanding the risks?
Our survey results highlight potential starting points for developing AI literacy tools for older adults. Nine in 10 older people wanted to know when information had been generated by AI. We are starting to see AI labels on search engine results, such as Google search’s AI snippets.
Some AI-generated content, like this Google AI Overview search summary, is clearly labeled as AI, but not all are. Screenshot by The Conversation
Michigan and other states have adopted policies for disclosing AI content in political ads, but these notices could be made more visible in other contexts, such as nonpolitical advertising and on social media. Further, nearly 80% of older people wanted to learn more about AI risks – where might it go wrong and what to do about it.
Policymakers can focus on enforcing AI notices that signal content was generated by AI, particularly at a critical time when the U.S. is considering revising its AI policies to do just the opposite – removing language about risk, discrimination and misinformation – based on a new executive order.
Overall, our findings show that AI can support healthy aging. However, overtrust and mistrust of AI could be addressed with better training tools and policies to make risks more visible.
Robin Brewer, Associate Professor of Information, University of Michigan
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Tools & Platforms
OpenAI Unveils Jobs Platform, Certification Program to Match Workers With AI-Era Employment
- OpenAI is launching the OpenAI Jobs Platform, a marketplace designed to connect AI-skilled workers with employers, as part of its effort to address workforce disruption and create new opportunities as AI adoption accelerates.
- The platform will feature candidates across expertise levels and support hiring for large companies, small businesses, and governments, with early partners including the Texas Association of Business, Walmart, John Deere, BCG, Accenture, Indeed, and state governments.
- Complementing the platform, OpenAI will expand its Academy with new certification programs available directly in ChatGPT, aiming to certify 10 million Americans by 2030, positioning AI fluency as a critical workforce credential.
OpenAI is rolling out a jobs platform and certification program designed to connect AI-skilled workers with employers, part of a broader push to address workplace disruption as artificial intelligence spreads across industries, CEO of Applications Fidji Simo announced in a blog post.
The OpenAI Jobs Platform will serve as a marketplace for businesses seeking employees fluent in AI tools and for workers looking to apply those skills. The platform, which will feature candidates at multiple levels of expertise, is intended to streamline hiring for large companies, local businesses, and government agencies. Groups including the Texas Association of Business plan to use the system to link thousands of employers with AI-trained talent, according to Simo.
Other partners include John Deere, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture, Indeed, and several state governments, the company said.
The move comes as employers increasingly cite AI expertise as a critical requirement for future competitiveness. OpenAI said it will complement the platform with a certification program to validate workers’ AI skills. The certifications build on the company’s OpenAI Academy, a free online training hub launched earlier this year that has already drawn more than two million participants. The expanded program will allow users to prepare for and earn certifications directly in ChatGPT, from basic AI fluency to advanced prompt engineering.
The company aims to certify 10 million Americans by 2030. Walmart, the world’s largest private employer, is among the first partners, the company pointed out.
“At Walmart, we know the future of retail won’t be defined by technology alone—it will be defined by people who know how to use it,” John Furner, CEO, Walmart U.S., said in a statement. “By bringing AI training directly to our associates, we’re putting the most powerful technology of our time in their hands—giving them the skills to rewrite the playbook and shape the future of retail.”
OpenAI indicated its initiatives highlight the dual nature of AI’s economic impact: the technology is expected to generate new opportunities while disrupting traditional roles. Jobs will look different, companies will have to adapt, and all of us—from shift workers to CEOs—will have to learn how to work in new ways,” Simo wrote.
She pointed out the launch aligns with the White House’s AI literacy campaign and as they move forward, the initiatives will focus on the needs of employees and employers.
“It’s all about being intentional about the kind of future we want to build,” Simo wrote. “If we want to put more power into the hands of more people, not just a fortunate few, we need to help everyone, at every level, take advantage of the opportunities that come with AI. We’ve still got a long way to go, but this is an important step in the right direction.”
Tools & Platforms
OpenAI Unveils Jobs Platform, Certification Program to Match Workers With AI-Era Employment
- OpenAI is launching the OpenAI Jobs Platform, a marketplace designed to connect AI-skilled workers with employers, as part of its effort to address workforce disruption and create new opportunities as AI adoption accelerates.
- The platform will feature candidates across expertise levels and support hiring for large companies, small businesses, and governments, with early partners including the Texas Association of Business, Walmart, John Deere, BCG, Accenture, Indeed, and state governments.
- Complementing the platform, OpenAI will expand its Academy with new certification programs available directly in ChatGPT, aiming to certify 10 million Americans by 2030, positioning AI fluency as a critical workforce credential.
OpenAI is rolling out a jobs platform and certification program designed to connect AI-skilled workers with employers, part of a broader push to address workplace disruption as artificial intelligence spreads across industries, CEO of Applications Fidji Simo announced in a blog post.
The OpenAI Jobs Platform will serve as a marketplace for businesses seeking employees fluent in AI tools and for workers looking to apply those skills. The platform, which will feature candidates at multiple levels of expertise, is intended to streamline hiring for large companies, local businesses, and government agencies. Groups including the Texas Association of Business plan to use the system to link thousands of employers with AI-trained talent, according to Simo.
Other partners include John Deere, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture, Indeed, and several state governments, the company said.
The move comes as employers increasingly cite AI expertise as a critical requirement for future competitiveness. OpenAI said it will complement the platform with a certification program to validate workers’ AI skills. The certifications build on the company’s OpenAI Academy, a free online training hub launched earlier this year that has already drawn more than two million participants. The expanded program will allow users to prepare for and earn certifications directly in ChatGPT, from basic AI fluency to advanced prompt engineering.
The company aims to certify 10 million Americans by 2030. Walmart, the world’s largest private employer, is among the first partners, the company pointed out.
“At Walmart, we know the future of retail won’t be defined by technology alone—it will be defined by people who know how to use it,” John Furner, CEO, Walmart U.S., said in a statement. “By bringing AI training directly to our associates, we’re putting the most powerful technology of our time in their hands—giving them the skills to rewrite the playbook and shape the future of retail.”
OpenAI indicated its initiatives highlight the dual nature of AI’s economic impact: the technology is expected to generate new opportunities while disrupting traditional roles. Jobs will look different, companies will have to adapt, and all of us—from shift workers to CEOs—will have to learn how to work in new ways,” Simo wrote.
She pointed out the launch aligns with the White House’s AI literacy campaign and as they move forward, the initiatives will focus on the needs of employees and employers.
“It’s all about being intentional about the kind of future we want to build,” Simo wrote. “If we want to put more power into the hands of more people, not just a fortunate few, we need to help everyone, at every level, take advantage of the opportunities that come with AI. We’ve still got a long way to go, but this is an important step in the right direction.”
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