OpenAI and AARP’s Older Adults Technology Services are running free, in-person ChatGPT workshops for 1,000 older adults across 10 US communities. The program focuses on everyday tasks and online safety rather than technical AI training.
Participants will practice using ChatGPT to plan trips, understand bills and letters, explore hobbies and stay connected with family. Scam detection is a dedicated part of the workshop, covering warning signs such as urgent language, secrecy and suspicious links. The guidance uses a simple rule—pause, think and ask—while presenting ChatGPT as an additional check rather than an authority. OpenAI says people ask the service tens of millions of times each week to assess suspicious messages, emails and websites.
The events are part of a multi-year collaboration with AARP’s Senior Planet program and will take place in cities including Denver, Miami, San Antonio, Queens, Nashville, Fresno and Boise. OpenAI says the share of US ChatGPT messages associated with people aged 55 and older rose from 6% to nearly 10% in a year. That growth makes practical education useful, but an AI assistant can still misjudge a scam or misunderstand a document. The workshops’ value will depend on pairing the tool with independent verification and established fraud-reporting channels.