Heard the term “AI” and immediately thought of the Terminator? Rally gets it—but he’s discovered something surprising: artificial intelligence is already helping you every single day, and there’s a whole lot more it can do to make your life easier, better, and maybe even more fun…find out how! No tech degree required.
Episode Transcript
Hey there Beautiful People, welcome back to the Silver Beast Podcast!
I’m Rally Preston, your 70-year-old guide to how to not act your age.
So the other day, a buddy asked me if I thought AI (you know, Artificial Intelligence) was going to take over the world. And I said, Well my smart TV can’t seem to remember what show I was just watching — so I think we’re safe for now. But that got me thinking…
A lot of us older adults, me included sometimes, we hear this scary stuff about “AI” and we think of…the, uh Terminator or something. Robots taking over the world. Or okay, maybe that HAL 9000 computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey movie, you remember that,saying: I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.
But here’s the truth today. AI is already in your life. Right now. Sure, you may not even know it all the time. But what it can be is a good tool for us mature adults – if we learn how to use it.
So today I want to talk about how we—us older adults, most of us on fixed incomes, who still sometimes struggle to reset the clock on the microwave—can actually use AI to make our lives a little easier, a little better, maybe even a little more fun.
Alright, so first…let me just say this. I get it. Technology can be intimidating.
I mean, most of us grew up with rotary phones. A lot of nines and zeros in a phone number, and it took you a while to dial that number — remember?
Now, most of us have smartphones that recognize our faces, that talk back to us, that know where we are at all times— now that’s either real convenient or mildly terrifying, depends on how you look at it, I guess.
But here’s what I’ve learned about Artificial Intelligence…it really can make our lives better…stick with me and I’ll show you how.
So what is AI anyway? I know it might be a mystery to some people.
Well, in the simplest terms— and, as you know, simple’s all I’ve got—AI is just computer programs that can learn and make decisions kind of like a human would. They recognize patterns. They make suggestions. They help you find stuff. Even be your friend if you want.
And here’s the pretty cool part…AI is already built into things you might already be using.
That smartphone in your pocket? It’s loaded up with AI. When your phone suggests the next word you’re gonna type in a text message? That’s AI. When you ask Siri or Google what the weather’s gonna be? Yep, AI. When Netflix recommends a show you might like—even though half the time it’s way off in my opinion—that’s AI too. <chuckles>
So you’re already using it.
Now…let me tell you why I even started thinking about all this.
I was waiting in the grocery check-out line a few weeks ago, and I overheard this woman—maybe late 70s?—anyway, talking about how she kept forgetting to take her B.P. medication. She’d be watching TV and lose track of time. I can relate.
Anyway, her younger friend said: Hey, there’s an app for that. And she kinda laughed it off, like Oh, I’m too old to figure that stuff out.
But you know what, She’s not too old. None of us are I don’t think. We just need someone to show us that this stuff isn’t as complicated or scary as it sounds.
So I started poking around. And you know, there’s a lot out AI stuff out there that can actually give us older adults a hand.
Like medication reminder apps. There’s a bunch of free ones out there—Medisafe, MyTherapy, CareZone. They don’t just remind you. They learn your routine. They know when you usually take your pills. They even send you a gentle nudge if you haven’t responded you took them.
That’s AI working for you. Not against you.
And here’s something else that really surprised me. There are AI workout apps now. Free or really cheap ones. And not just the bodybuilders ones – some are geared for older adult workouts.
The app watches you—using your phone’s camera—and it makes sure you’re doing exercises correctly so you don’t hurt yourself. It adjusts based on your ability level. So that’s cool.
Oh, and here’s another one I found. AI companions.
Now, no, not telling you to go get a robot friend. But sometimes…you just want someone to talk, right? A lot of us live alone. Or maybe your spouse, or uh, your family is busy. Maybe you just want to talk through a problem or share a memory or, I don’t know, argue about whether The Andy Griffith Show was better in black and white or color.
There are these AI chatbot apps—totally free ones—where you can just…talk. You can type or speak out loud. And it responds. It remembers what you’ve told it before. It asks questions. It’s not the same as a real friend, obviously. But when you need someone to listen? It’s not bad.
And speaking of talking to AI…let me tell you about something that’s really opened up a whole new world for a lot of us. Programs like ChatGPT and Claude.
Now these are completely free to use for basic services. Now that’s perfect for us retirees on a budget, right?
You can ask them questions about anything. Need help understanding your medical bill? Ask. Want to know how to remove a red wine stain from your shirt? Just ask. Trying to remember the name of that actor from that movie with the thing? Okay, you might need to be a bit more specific, but…you get the idea.
And here’s something really cool. If you’ve ever thought about writing your memoir—you know, getting all those stories and memories down for your grandkids—AI can be like your Shakespeare co-author.
You can sit there and just talk to it. Tell it your stories. It can, uh, help you organize them, suggest ways to make them sound more exciting – even help you remember details you thought you’d forgotten. That’s pretty neat, right? AI can help you shape those memories into something your grandkids might actually want to read someday…as long as it was on their smartphone, of course!
And the best part of getting AI writing help? You don’t have to be a good writer. You just have to have stories. And I know we’ve all got those.
So here’s what I want you to take away from this AI stuff, Silver Beasties.
You don’t have to become a tech wizard. You don’t have to understand how any of this AI stuff works. You just have to be willing to try. To experiment a little.
Because look, AI is just a tool. Like a hammer or a calculator. It’s there to make your life easier if you let it.
Alright, so let’s wrap this up with some simple things you can actually do today if you want to give this AI stuff a try.
Action Step 1: Start with What You’ve Got
If you have a smartphone—and most of us do these days—start exploring what’s already there. Try asking Siri or Google Assistant a question out loud. Something simple like “What’s the weather today?” or “Set a timer for 20 minutes.” Just get comfortable talking to your phone. It will probably feel weird at first. You’ll get over it.
Action Step 2: Try a Free AI Chatbot
Go to ChatGPT.com or Claude.ai on your phone or computer. Create a free account—takes maybe two minutes. Then just ask it something. Anything. What’s a good recipe for pot roast? or How do I get grass stains out of my khakis? Start simple. See what happens and go from there.
Action Step 3: Download a Free Medication Reminder App
There are tons out there. Medisafe, MyTherapy, CareZone—all free. Pick one, set it up. Even if you only take one pill a day, let the app remind you for a week. See how it feels – it’s a good safety net.
Action Step 4: Explore AI for Your Creative Side
If you’ve ever thought about writing your life story, or even just journaling, try using AI as your writing buddy. Tell it a story from your past. Let it help you organize your thoughts. You might be surprised at what comes out.
Action Step 5: Talk to Someone About It
Find a friend, a family member, – the younger the better, probably and say, Hey, can you show me one cool thing AI can do? Sometimes just having someone walk you through it once is all you need.
You know what, Silver Beasties? We lived through color TV, we survived the internet, we figured out email, and most of us use a computer. At this point, we can handle AI too.
And who knows? Maybe getting curious about AI will make you feel a little less old, a little more connected to this wild, modern world – a lot of it powered by AI – we’re living in.
So that’s it for today’s episode. Until next time, this is Rally Preston reminding you: just because we’re older doesn’t mean we stop learning. It just means we get to be pickier about what we learn, right?
Stay beastly, my friends. I’ll catch you next time on The Silver Beast Podcast!