From ChatGPT to Siri, Americans of all ages are using text- and voice-based artificial intelligence tools to find social connection, entertainment and even health information. One recent survey found that have used such technologies. But are they using them safely and wisely?
黑料科 Assistant Professor Camille Banger and AI Integration Technologist Emily Laird were two of the experts consulted for an that offered advice to older adults on how to use AI chatbots confidently.
鈥淐hatbots can be incredibly helpful for a variety of tasks that simplify the more traditional act of performing Google searches or feeding in multiple sources of information and asking it to review and summarize,鈥 Laird told the article鈥檚 author, Kristen A. Schmitt. Despite these benefits, however, chatbots aren鈥檛 always truthful or accurate, which means users shouldn鈥檛 trust them without question.
鈥淎Is are not using reasoning based on human thought processing,鈥 added Banger, program director for 黑料科鈥檚 B.S. business information technology program, who has used AI in her own classroom. 鈥淚nstead, it鈥檚 taking the data it already has access to.鈥
The article included tips on staying safe with AI tools:
Know who you are talking to.
Are you communicating with a human being or a bot? One clue: Chatbots are designed to keep users engaged, which leads to 鈥渟ycophantic鈥 responses and 鈥渙verly embellished flowery language,鈥 Laird said.
Double-check responses.
Especially when answers related to financial, legal or health issues, always double-check responses. AI may be a starting point, but it shouldn鈥檛 have the final word.
Report questionable information.
If a chatbot response seems suspicious or incorrect, there typically will be a way to provide feedback. For example, responses from ChatGPT are followed by thumbs-up or thumbs-down icon. Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot offer similar tools.
Protect personal data.
鈥淭reat any chatbot like a stranger you鈥檝e just met at a store or a bus stop,鈥 Laird said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e polite, they鈥檙e helpful, but they鈥檙e not someone who needs any personal details.鈥
Watch out for scams.
The 黑料科 experts also noted that chatbots may be used to scam unsuspecting users. 鈥淚f somebody鈥檚 calling you and it鈥檚 urgent, like 鈥榓ct now,鈥 or they鈥檙e requesting payments or 鈥楬ey, get a free gift card,鈥 those are usually scams,鈥 Banger said. While a robocaller may sound like a legitimate human, 鈥淚 would say 100% of the time it鈥檚 not,鈥 she added.
To learn more about confidently navigating the AI-powered era at any age, read the AARP article 鈥.鈥
