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The one thing I’ve started to notice for the older folks in my family is how they’re still a bit wary of AI.Some of them refer to AI as “that ChatGPT thing,” just like I remember them referring to video games as just “Nintendo.” It’s still a foreign concept for the sort of boomers who have entered their retirement age, especially for those who no longer have access to their tech-savvy children in the next room since they’ve finally gotten a place of their own. But I have noticed some people in their 60s and 70s whip out their phones to type out simple prompts and talk to the chatbots they have at their disposal.If you consider yourself a part of the boomer generation and are looking for ways that AI can assist you in your everyday life, there is a wealth of beneficial uses that come from utilizing the likes of ChatGPT, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot.Here are seven of those serviceable methods and a few examples of the sort of prompts that apply to each of them.
(Image credit: Marcus Aurelius / Pexels)I can’t even fathom the number of times my aunts, uncles and grandparents have lit up my phone with texts asking for solutions to their tech problems. Setting up their new phone, getting to the bottom of their Wi-FI disconnection errors, trying to connect their new smart TV to the Wi-Fi, and trying to find out how to use a streaming service on their smart TV are among those common problems.Asking AI to assist you with those sorts of lingering tech issues can be done using the following example prompts:Explain how to set up my new iPhone [model name and number] step by step. Assume I’m not very comfortable with technology and don’t skip any steps.My Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting. Walk me through the most likely causes and tell me exactly what to try, one step at a time.Explain how to connect my smart TV to Wi-Fi like you’re helping someone who has never done it before.Explain how to stream [name of streaming service] on my smart TV. Tell me what buttons to press and what I should see on the screen at each step.I just bought a new Android [model name and number] phone. Give me a simple checklist for transferring my contacts, photos, apps, and messages from my old phone.I keep running out of storage on my phone. Show me how to figure out what's taking up space and safely free some of it.2. Tap into a chatbot as a research assistant that can easily explain complex topics
