As someone who hungers for all things new and revolutionary, I often wonder how I’m the product of my parents who still have a landline and regularly need help updating their AOL passwords. But recently, I decided to have a go at helping them dive into the world of AI.
I started by asking ChatGPT to create an image of George Harrison riding a bike in the snow. My mom, a lifelong Beatles fan, marveled at the realistic image of what looked like the shy musician. ChatGPT censors the creation of celebrity images for safety reasons, but the AI gets pretty close. Intrigued, my mom wondered what else was possible for AI. After reminding her that Siri, Alexa, and Cortana (remember her?) used AI, I decided to share some of my favorite and easy-to-use AI tools.
If you’re like me and have little time and even less patience, then you’re going to want to introduce these apps to your parents, elder relatives and really anyone who is feeling reluctant about exploring the world of AI. These apps are simple enough that they do not need a lot of explanation and are so useful that they’ll wonder what other technology you’ve been hiding.
1. ChatGPT
As mentioned, ChatGPT is what really wowed my mom into wanting to learn more about artificial intelligence. This advanced language model developed by OpenAI is great for generating human-like text responses. With its ability to understand and reply to queries on a plethora of subjects, it's ideal for those new to AI. The chatbot is great for interactive conversations, content creation and so much more. We asked ChatGPT to take a family recipe for Kitchen Sink cookies and alter the ingredients to decrease the fat content. I was lucky enough to partake in the delicious results as well as enjoy my mom’s amazement.
2. Google Gemini
Google is likely a site your parents are familiar with, but if they’re anything like mine, they might not know they have an AI tool. Because of their comfort level with Google, they may find Google Gemini an easy transition to AI. This common AI app delivers highly personalized search results using large language models. Its unique ability to analyze preferences and user behavior enhances overall searches to deliver a cutting-edge browsing experience.
3. Google Maps
As one of the most used AI apps, your parents might already be using Google Maps without realizing the AI component offering real-time route planning and traffic updates. If they are still using TripTiks from AAA, they will be floored by the real-time traffic updates, accurate directions and estimated travel times for their next trip to visit you.
You can also use Google Maps to find places to visit. For example, if you ask Google Maps to find "places with a vintage vibe in San Francisco," it will come back with relevant results for clothing stores, vinyl shops and more.
4. Waze
Another AI travel companion, Waze offers AI-powered notifications for crash-prone roads. If you’re a worrier like me, this AI app will give you peace of mind knowing your parents are using it for their commutes to and from wherever they go. As an added bonus, it is now integrated with Google Assistant, so its at their fingertips by simply saying, “Hey Google.”
Waze leverages AI for crash history alerts as well as your ETA prediction, which is typically very accurate.
5. Grammarly
If your parents are retired like mine, they have probably picked up a few hobbies. Since retiring, my mom spends more time writing. She always enjoyed it but felt nervous about her ability to remember all the grammar she learned in well, grammar school. Grammarly is an AI-powered app that empowers users to do their best writing, while allowing them to explore different ways of expressing their thoughts. Maybe it will inspire them to finally start that novel they’ve been putting off.
6. You
Another AI assistant worth exploring is You. The ChatGPT-style chatbot delivers quick results to provide answers to questions, generate ideas, translate text and compose emails. One reason I like to suggest it for seniors is because it helps summarize articles. Everything from news stories to notices can be summarized and broken down into terms that are easier to understand. We gave it a whirl with a safety recall notice I recently received on my Jeep.
7. Microsoft CoPilot
Similar to Grammerly, CoPilot from Microsoft is another useful AI writing tool but it also has an AI-assistant component. I suggest this one especially if your parents or older relatives already have Microsoft applications on their computer and have one of the best Windows laptops. They might find this app naturally less intimidating. Plus, it works across all of Microsoft’s applications, including Outlook, Teams, and Powerpoint for supercharged productivity and organization.
Final thoughts
Change can be hard. I still remember reluctantly making the leap from a Discman to an iPod. Yet, understanding how the change can open new doors and even make life easier will help the transition. Most of the apps here are intuitive and from brands older generations may already recognize, perhaps adding trust in the process. If my parents can do it, I have faith that yours can, too.
More from Tom's Guide
- How to use ChatGPT to help write your resume in 9 easy steps
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