AI Uses for Seniors – 6 Fun and Practical Uses

AI isn’t just for the younger generation or computer pros. It’s an easy, enjoyable tool that older adults can use to have fun and simplify tasks.  Whether you’re retired, semi-retired, or just looking for something new to explore, here are 6 delightful and useful ways to use AI tools.

1 – Ask AI to Turn Your Memories into Stories

You don’t have to be a writer to turn your fondest memories into engaging stories. AI can do it for you. Here’s how:

Look for the prompt box on ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI services. The prompt box usually has the word Ask in it and is the place you can type in your query. Depending which AI you’re using, it will look something like this:

Use that box to explain that you want the AI to turn your memory into a story.  Then enter a description of the incident using whatever details you remember.

AI will respond, turning your details into a story that reads like it was professionally written. Here’s an example of a prompt I entered on ChatGPT:

“When I was 11, my older brother built a small boat . He put it in a canal that led to the great South Bay off Long Island and used a small outboard motor to drive the boat around. He asked my parents and I to go in the boat with him one day, and we did. But neither my mother nor my father knew how to swim. With a lot of people in it, that little boat sat pretty low to the water, and my mother was scared to death. So we came back to dock after about 5 minutes.”

ChatGPT embellished that memory and turned it into an interesting little story. Here’s an excerpt from the ChatGPT version:

….With all of us squeezed together, the boat sat so low in the water I could practically trail my fingers along the surface without leaning over.
My mother’s eyes grew wide the moment the motor sputtered to life. She clutched the side of the boat, staring at the water as though it might leap in at any second. My father sat stiffly, trying to look calm but quietly calculating what he would do—without swimming skills—if the boat tipped….

You can read the full story ChatGPT produced here.

2 – Ask AI to Restore the Color on Old Photos

If you’re like many seniors, you have some photos that have faded over the years. Perhaps they’re photos of your children or other family members that were taken 40 or 50 years ago. While there are a number of services you can pay to restore photos, you can often get good results by using the free versions of ChatGPT or Gemini to do the job. Here’s how:

Scan or use your smart phone to take a photo of the faded picture. Then, go to ChatGPT or Gemini, upload the image and ask the AI to restore the colors in the photo. Be specific about what you want the AI to do. 

For instance, I used my cell phone to take a photo of this old, faded-out picture of two children. I uploaded that photo to Gemini and typed in this prompt:

“Restore this photo so it looks like a professional photo. Retain features. Little girl’s hair is light brown, older boy on right has auburn hair. Girl’s dress is pink. boy’s jacket was brown check pattern.”

The image on the left is what I uploaded to Gemini. The image on the right is what Gemini produced in response to my prompt.

If the AI’s first try isn’t good enough, give it additional instructions (eg., make the colors more vibrant) and ask it to try again.

When you’re satisfied with the result, download the image, and if desired, print it out.

3 – Let AI Show How You’d Look with a Different Hair Style or Color

Have you ever wondered what you’d look like if you dyed your hair? Or let it go gray? Or changed the style? It’s super easy (and fun!) to find out using free AI tools. Here’s how.

Go to one of the free AI services, upload a clear headshot of yourself and ask the AI to show you what you’d look like with a change you specify. You can repeat the question multiple times changing the style or color you want to see. The image below is an example of how the Gemini tool Nano Banana changed the hair color and style on an image. Note: The original image (short, grey, pixie-style haircut) was also generated by Nano Banana.

Note: While this is something that is fun to do for your own amusement (or to test different hair colors and styles), I wouldn’t recommend posting the results to your social media account. Doing so might tempt someone to copy your photo and change it or use it in ways you don’t want them to.

4 – Ask AI to Find, Compare, and Evaluate Choices for Big Purchases

Making a big purchase can be very stressful at any age. And it can be particularly difficult for some seniors. Besides having to pay for the purchase, you’re usually faced with a large assortment of models, sizes, features and price ranges from which to choose.

Trying to compare them to find the best, most reliable item for your needs and your pocketbook can be exasperating. Reading through all the details of product models and user reviews takes a lot of time and can leave your head spinning.

But it doesn’t have to. Instead of spending hours doing the research and comparisons yourself, turn the task over to an AI search engine.

In the prompt box, describe the product you need, being sure to include any size or other essential considerations.

For instance, I recently needed a new washing machine. The one I was replacing was 27 ½ inches wide and 28 inches deep. The new one had to be the same size to fit in the space. Instead of trying to find dimensions for dozens of washing machines, I asked an AI search engine to list products that  met my size needs.

It responded in a few seconds with a list of products that matched.

Then I asked the AI to compare them and recommend which would be best. It did that instantaneously and gave me “reasons” for its choice.

Because AI’s sometimes hallucinate (the term techies use when AIs make errors or just make up facts), I looked up the model it recommended in Consumer Reports. I checked local prices and bought it at the local store that had the best deal.

5 – Use AI for Senior-Friendly Meal and Leftover Suggestions

Tired of cooking the same old things for dinner? Or, perhaps you have more than half of that $4.99 Costco rotisserie chicken you bought left over and don’t know what to do with it?

Let AI come to the rescue. Tell the AI what you ingredients you have and ask it to suggest senior-friendly recipes. You can ask it to list comfort foods, quick and easy dishes, light, healthy dishes, etc.

You’ll get a list of suggestions (maybe some images, too.) If one of the ideas appeals to you, ask AI to create or find a recipe to make the dish.

6 – Use AI to Plan Senior-Friendly Travel or Day Trips

Ask AI to recommend senior-friendly destinations, easy walking routes, inexpensive weekend trips, or other vacations tailored to your needs. For instance, if you ask ChatGPT or Gemini to suggest sites to see that don’t require much walking, you’ll get a list of suggestions for scenic rail trips, river cruises, motor coach tours and more. If one of the suggestions sounds interesting, you can ask AI for a list of tour operators for that type of vacation.

Experiment with AI for Yourself

You don’t need to be a “tech person” to enjoy Gemini, ChatGPT or other AI tools. Think of AI as a friendly, patient assistant who is available 24 hours a day.  Experiment with it. Have fun with it. But before you act on any “advice” or repeat any facts it gives you, remember that AI can hallucinate. So, verify the information with other sources.