Is AI only for young people?
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The promise of a know-it-all easy to use computer that can solve many of our day-to-day problems is around the corner. But how much do we need to understand technology in order to really benefit from it? Is technology making us feel old?
The aging X generation is facing a real conundrum. They are often characterized by their independence, adaptability, and skepticism, and are seen as a bridge between the Baby Boomers and Millennial. They are the last generation who lived fully in the analog age and witnessed the transition from stationary to mobile communications. This is probably the first generation that really saw the potential of what technology could do; but did not foresee how far it could go -even beyond what sci-fi books (which they read in paper) could have predicted. Flying cars were more likely to happen than self-driving cars! Video phone calls? Checked. And... Hollywood was making the future scary with movies like Terminator, or Blade Runner, even the Matrix which closed the century -and the millennium showing us a world literally controlled by AI. A whole generation grew up embedded in these ideas of AI.
Who needs AI…
And it seems that now, the X generation is back again on the transition table. Things are moving in other directions. More promising, for sure but with new challenges. Recent advances in wearable technology, conversational bots and on-the-go creation of multimedia messages are confirming what we know now as the growing "digital divide", an unequal distribution in the access, use, or impact of information and communication technologies among social groups. And it is also affecting our golden agers.
The generation that saw the iPhone comprised in one device many of the things they stored in a big drawer is now facing being left out by technology. But there is hope. A 2024 study by AARPA (formerly known as American Association of Retired Persons) showed that adults ages 50 and older are increasingly embracing new technologies such as AI, navigation apps, and airline websites for their travel needs. According to the poll with more than 1,000 participants, most say they value how technology can save them money (85%) and time (77%) and assist with unexpected travel changes. (77%).
The Associated Press reported last year that more older adults are taking classes and preparing themselves for a world altered by artificial intelligence.
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Even though the numbers of older adults immersing in technology decline after 60, according to the University of Chicago, user-friendly interfaces are making these tools not only more reliable but also faster and user friendly for them.
Around this time last year, a new conversation hit the online communities around smart phones becoming obsolete. Futurologists and entrepreneurs -like Elon Musk are showing us a society where brain implants, smart glasses and wearable computers will make it almost impossible to live in a society without technology, regardless of how old we are.
The boomer generation could not conceive an economy without checks or cash, and then they had to start using ATMs and credit cards. Now we just have a number in our bank accounts… digital information that soon may be transformed into a cryptocurrency.
And… stay curious
Link Foundation is finding ways to empower the Latino community through educational programs that develop key technological skills, ranging from basic digital tools management to mastering emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital marketing, among others.
And it is for all ages! The old idiom “you can't teach an old dog new tricks”, is totally out of date. According to the Pew Research Center, 10 years ago just one-third (33%) of Latinos ages 65 and older say they use the internet at least occasionally. And while the numbers are improving, now 35%, compared to 94% of ages 18-29, here still much to do.
The digital divide is real. Latinos are still behind other demographics in terms of access to technology, and within the Latino group, older Latinos are still struggling to catch up.
It is time to learn new tricks...
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