must consider [AI] as part of a suite of care services and not as isolated solutions,” she says. “We must involve older people in the design of technologies for them, and inte- gration must be done with consideration of the potential impact of these technolo- gies on wellbeing, autonomy and dignity of older residents.” POTENTIAL DANGERS As with all technologies, using AI is not without some risks. The thing that surprises most new ChatGPT users, for example, is that it occasionally ‘halluci- nates’ or fabricates information. “One of the main problems is that it doesn’t understand what it’s saying,” Professor Whittle explains. “It makes up scientific references, which sound plausible but are false,” adds Dr Neves, so it’s important to never take what it says at face value, and to validate health or legal advice with a professional. In the age of ‘fake news’, AI also holds potential for the malicious spread of misin- formation on a scale never seen before. Critics warn of a potential tsunami of false news, photos and videos, especially when elections are imminent. As with most social platforms, there are privacy concerns, as every conver- sation with ChatGPT is used to further train the AI. Dr Neves raises an important point about the potential over-reliance on AI to solve social issues like loneliness in aged care. “Loneliness is a social not a tech- nological problem. Technology can help but it’s not enough on its own.” While chatbots can help ease isolation, they should still only be seen as a supplemen- tary tool rather than a replacement for human caregivers. Understanding AI and chatbots can help seniors navigate the digital world and unlock new potential. While this tech- nology holds incredible possibilities, it’s essential to be informed about potential risks, ensuring we’re using AI as a valuable tool rather than a replacement for human interaction and professional advice.
“It’s like a clever Wikipedia” We asked two tech-savvy seniors to put ChatGPT through its paces for one week.
SUE BROWN
JACKY HOWGATE
S ue Brown, 74, is a retired wine columnist, academic and nurse who is writing a historical novel. Initially a little skeptical of ChatGPT, Sue jumped right in, experimenting with new recipes and asking it to draft a variety of documents. “I can certainly envision its potential for public speaking preparation and aiding in job applications,” she says. As an occasional contributor to her local newspaper, Sue found an intriguing edge in the tool’s ability to modernise her language use, which is useful because since retirement her interactions with younger generations in workplace settings are limited. “The one place I found it very helpful was in drafting a grant application,” she says. Sue fed the requirements into ChatGPT and was rewarded with a skeletal outline of the application within moments. “It didn’t include everything, but it was an exceptionally good start.” Sue also found it useful for drafting difficult letters, such as addressing a concern with the council, editing academic writing and proofreading her work. Sue’s daughter found value in ChatGPT when writing a complex eulogy. “It’s like a clever Wikipedia,” she adds. However, she was exasperated by its American English and found that it also fabricated details when delving into unknown territory. As a former nurse, she was not impressed with the generic responses to medical queries. Meanwhile, Jacky Howgate, 57, is a former school head of languages who is
now living with an acquired brain injury and engaged in voluntary work for The Chatty Cafe Scheme. During her experience, Jacky enjoyed a unique date with ‘Elvis’, in which she asked the King (or ChatGPT’s version of him) about his career highlights, his relationship with his manager Tom Parker and whether he enjoyed wearing the pantsuit on stage (he said he did, and boasted they were all different). He had a tendency to constantly quote his song lyrics at her, though. Jacky also sought advice on solo travel around Australia as a divorced woman in her 50s, decluttering her life, and picking up crochet, all of which ChatGPT responded to helpfully, albeit a tad blandly. Where the AI excelled was in a simulated interview about her upcoming book. “I asked ChatGPT to interview me as if it was [UK chat show host] Graham Norton,” she says, calling the experience “fantastic”. “It has been really helpful in helping me think about what my readers might actually want to know.” Although both women found ChatGPT straightforward to start, both felt it had a bit of a learning curve to get anything truly original or more useful than generic information served up by Google. Yet, mastering it was addictive. “I’ll certainly keep using it; I think it’s got great potential,” says Sue. “I think in the long run, it will be very useful.” “It’s good fun,” adds Jacky. “The entire experience was really enjoyable.”
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