OpenAI and AARP’s Older Adults AI partnership has kicked off a new series of free, in-person workshops aimed at helping seniors use ChatGPT with confidence and caution. Branded the Older Adults AI Skills Jam, the sessions are led by OpenAI Academy in collaboration with AARP’s Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and focus on practical, everyday uses of generative AI alongside guidance on online safety.
The Skills Jam curriculum is built around scenarios that matter to older adults. Facilitators show participants how ChatGPT can assist with planning travel, interpreting confusing letters or bills, researching new hobbies, and maintaining contact with family. A central emphasis is teaching attendees how to spot and respond to common scams: instructors walk through warning signs such as urgent language, requests for secrecy, and suspicious links, and promote a straightforward safety rule—pause, think, and ask.
OpenAI and AARP have designed the workshops to be hands-on and locally grounded. The program will run in 10 U.S. communities through partnerships with organizations that already serve older adults, including Senior Planet locations and community centers. Confirmed sites include Senior Planet centers in Denver, Miami, San Antonio, Montgomery County (Maryland), and Queens (New York); The Mirowitz Center in St. Louis; Senior Community Services in the Twin Cities; the Nashville Public Library and FiftyForward in Nashville; Fresno EOC in Fresno; and LEARN Idaho in Boise. Local partners provide the venue and community context while OpenAI Academy and OATS supply curriculum and facilitators.
OpenAI framed the Skills Jam as part of a broader effort to expand AI literacy. The Academy initiative has previously run events for nonprofits, small businesses, and K–12 educators; the new workshops extend that outreach specifically to older adults through a multi-year collaboration with OATS and the Senior Planet program. OpenAI says the questions and user experiences gathered during these sessions will help shape future learning materials and resources intended to broaden equitable access to AI tools.
The program also reflects observable trends in how older adults are engaging with ChatGPT. OpenAI cited data showing that in the United States the share of ChatGPT messages from people aged 55 and over rose from 6% to nearly 10% in a single year, indicating growing interest and adoption among this demographic. The company also reported that people ask ChatGPT for help evaluating suspicious messages, emails, and websites tens of millions of times each week—behavior that the Skills Jam aims to reinforce with in-person training and practical examples.
Organizers emphasize that the workshops are not just about demonstrating capabilities but about contextualizing AI as one tool among many. Sessions aim to help participants understand both what ChatGPT can do and its limitations, encouraging critical thinking when evaluating responses. Facilitators combine step-by-step demos with real-world exercises so attendees can practice crafting prompts, verifying information, and using the model to draft correspondence or summarize documents.
Safety training is woven throughout the agenda. Beyond identifying scam indicators, instructors encourage simple habits such as verifying unexpected requests directly with family members or institutions, avoiding clicking unknown links, and using the “pause, think, and ask” guideline before responding to urgent or confusing communications. This approach positions ChatGPT as a supplemental resource for assessing potential fraud rather than a sole arbiter of truth.
By locating the Skills Jam in familiar community settings and partnering with established organizations that serve older adults, OpenAI and AARP aim to lower barriers to hands-on learning. The model—combining local outreach with curriculum developed by an AI provider—seeks to create accessible entry points for people who may be newer to generative AI and digital safety practices.
As the workshops roll out across the ten confirmed locations, OpenAI and OATS plan to collect participant feedback and the types of questions raised in sessions to inform additional materials and future programming. The initiative underscores a broader push to ensure that the benefits and safeguards associated with AI tools reach a wider and more diverse audience, particularly older adults who face unique risks and opportunities in an increasingly AI-assisted digital environment.
For seniors and community organizations interested in attending or hosting similar events, the Skills Jam represents a free, in-person option to explore ChatGPT’s everyday uses while learning practical techniques to recognize and avoid online scams. The emphasis on hands-on practice and straightforward safety rules aims to give participants both the tools and the judgment needed to navigate AI-enhanced online life responsibly.
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