OpenAI Academy has partnered with Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), part of AARP, to run the Older Adults AI Skills Jam: a series of free, in-person workshops designed to teach 1,000 older adults in ten U.S. communities how to use ChatGPT practically and safely. The sessions are organized in collaboration with local organizations that support older adults.
Objectives of the workshops
The workshops aim to give older adults practical skills for using ChatGPT in daily life—examples cited include planning trips, interpreting confusing letters or bills, identifying potential scams, pursuing new hobbies, and keeping in touch with family. The program focuses on building confidence and competence with the AI tool so participants can apply it to everyday tasks.
Emphasis on safety and fraud prevention
Online safety is a central element of the training. Sessions include guidance on spotting common signs of scams—urgent language, requests for secrecy, and suspicious links—and promote a simple rule of thumb: pause, think, and ask. The article notes that people routinely ask ChatGPT to help evaluate suspicious messages, emails, and websites many millions of times per week, and this education complements OpenAI’s broader efforts to prevent, detect, and disrupt fraud and scams.
Why this matters
Usage data indicate that older adults are increasingly turning to ChatGPT for practical guidance and writing help: in the U.S., the share of messages associated with people aged 55 and older rose from 6% to nearly 10% over the course of a year. This increase underscores growing adoption of AI tools among older populations.
Relation to Senior Planet and prior work
The AI Skills Jam is part of a multi-year collaboration between OpenAI and OATS under the Senior Planet program, which aims to help older adults develop practical AI skills and stay safer online. OpenAI Academy has previously run events with nonprofits, small businesses, and K–12 educators, and the current Jam builds on those experiences.
Local partnerships and next steps
The workshops will run in ten communities nationwide alongside local partners. OpenAI Academy expressed gratitude to OATS, the local partners, and the program participants, noting that participant questions and feedback will inform future learning resources to broaden access to AI’s benefits for older adults.
Summary
The Older Adults AI Skills Jam provides free, in-person ChatGPT training to 1,000 older adults across ten U.S. cities, focusing on practical uses and scam awareness as part of a wider OpenAI–OATS collaboration within the Senior Planet initiative.
