AI for seniors: a calm start, one step at a time

What can AI do for you?

AI is a computer program you can talk or write to in ordinary language. It answers like a patient helper who never tires of questions. You don't need any special skills. If you can make a phone call or send a text message, you can use AI too.

Many older people find AI useful for things like:

• Reading small print. You can ask it to read aloud the tiny text on a medicine box or a bill.
• Explaining letters. A letter from a government office or insurance company can be explained in plain language.
• Asking questions by voice. You might ask how to bake a berry pie, or when to switch to winter tyres.
• Recognising things in pictures. With your phone camera you can find out which plant is growing in the garden or what a foreign-language sign says.
• Company and memory support. AI can help you remember a word on the tip of your tongue, or tell you about old songs.

But AI doesn't replace your doctor, your bank or your loved ones. It's an aid, like a magnifying glass or a hearing aid.

Before you start: ask someone to help

The easiest way to start is together with someone. A son or daughter, grandchild, neighbour or the digital helper at your local library will gladly help. Many towns and libraries offer free digital support for older people – ask at your library or local council.

Ask your helper to do these things with you:

1. Download the app only from the official app store (Google Play or the App Store).
2. Create an account and write the password down somewhere safe.
3. Make the text bigger in your phone's settings.
4. Put the app's icon on your phone's home screen so it's easy to find.
5. Try a few questions together.

You'll find more about phone apps in /en/guides/ai-on-your-phone/.

Talk to the AI – no typing needed

If the keyboard feels awkward, just talk. Many AI apps, such as /en/tools/chatgpt/ and /en/tools/gemini/, have a voice feature. Here's how:

1. Open the app by tapping its icon.
2. Look for a picture of a microphone or a sound wave at the bottom of the screen. Tap it.
3. Speak calmly, as you would to a person. For example: "Tell me how to boil potatoes."
4. Listen to the answer. The AI replies out loud.
5. Carry on talking by asking more, or finish by tapping the cross or the end button.

You can ask the AI to speak more slowly or to use simpler words. It won't mind if you ask the same thing many times.

Let the AI read and explain a letter

Official letters can be hard to understand. AI can explain them clearly. Here's how:

1. First cover your ID number and bank account number with a piece of paper or your finger.
2. Open the AI app and tap the camera or plus-sign icon.
3. Take a photo of the letter in good light.
4. Type or say something like the request below.

Double-check the important details, such as due dates and amounts, in the letter itself or by phoning the sender. AI can occasionally misread a number.

Be My Eyes: help with seeing

/en/tools/be-my-eyes/ is a free app originally made for blind and partially sighted people, but it helps anyone whose eyesight isn't what it used to be. It offers two kinds of help:

• AI help. You take a photo and the AI tells you what's in it. It can read food packaging, the name of a medicine, or the setting on an oven dial.
• A volunteer. You can make a video call to a volunteer who looks through your camera and helps you.

To get started:

1. Download Be My Eyes from the official app store.
2. Open the app and choose that you need help with seeing.
3. Choose AI help and take a photo of what you want to know about.
4. Listen to the description. You can ask follow-up questions, such as "What is the best-before date?"

Google Lens: your camera understands what it sees

/en/tools/google-lens/ works through your phone's camera. It's often already on Android phones, and on an iPhone you can use it through the Google app. With Lens you can:

• Translate text. Point the camera at a foreign menu or instruction leaflet and the text appears in your language.
• Identify plants, mushrooms and birds. But remember: never eat a mushroom based only on what an app says.
• Copy text. A phone number on paper, for example, can be moved into your phone without typing it in.

How to use Lens:

1. Open the Google app or your camera and tap the Lens icon (a colourful camera picture).
2. Point the camera at what you want to look into.
3. Tap a button such as "Translate" or "Text".
4. Read or listen to the result.

For travel tips, see /en/guides/translation-and-travel/.

What should you never tell an AI?

Keep three golden rules in mind:

1. Never share banking codes, passwords or card numbers. AI never needs them.
2. Don't share your ID number. Cover it in photos.
3. For important matters, ask a person too. Decisions about health, money and legal matters are always made with a professional.

More on safe use in /en/guides/ai-privacy-and-security/.

For family members: how to help best

If you're helping a parent or grandparent, a few things make the session a success:

• Let them hold the phone. Hands learn by doing.
• Teach one thing at a time. Voice first, the camera next time.
• Don't rush. Repeat calmly and praise every success.
• Write instructions on paper in large print.
• Agree on a safe word in case of scam calls.
• Tell them they can always call you if something feels wrong.

Calm, patient guidance builds confidence. When the first experience is a good one, AI soon becomes a useful everyday helper. Next, you could read /en/guides/get-started-with-ai/ or try writing letters with the help of /en/guides/emails-and-letters/.