AI for today's 80 year olds (and reformed Luddites): 10 tips!

This post was developed with the capable assistance of Perplexity. AI. The conceptual,positional and editorial responsibility are all mine, however! The references cited are included as hyperlinks in the text.  Bill Acton.

Wikipedia

Here is basic 10‑item list of tips using AI--for GOOD, assuming you have just a smartphone (iPhone or Android) but most of them work just fine if you have a laptop, too. You do need a chatbot,  like one of the four listed below. (I'm partial to Perplexity, myself, but all four are fine for this list, as are some others today.) All are easy to download from the App Store. 

Perplexity or ChatGPT (Gemini or Copilot on Android) for “ask anything,”

1. Use your voice instead of tapping or typing  

Turn on “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google,” or use one of the chatbots above, then ask things like: “What’s the weather like here tomorrow?” or “What is a good, easy recipe for nachos?” AI will train you to speak clearly and slowly enough!

2. AI your "Reminder brain"  

  Use Reminders/Google Tasks plus voice: “Remind me every Monday at 9 a.m. to refill medications” or “Remind me in 2 hours to check the oven.” This one is absolutely INVALUABLE! No problem with forgetting appointments and names!

3. AI to explain any confusing letter or bill  

 Open an AI app (or website), type or dictate: “Explain this doctor bill in simple terms for an 80‑year‑old,” then copy it or read it aloud from the paper. You can also ask as many follow up questions as you need. 

4. Use a strict “Ask AI before you click” scam rule  

  Before tapping links in texts or emails about money, shipping, or passwords, paste the message into AI: “Does this look like a scam? Explain briefly.” You can also ask about the company or the person sending the message. 

5. Let AI help write messages  

 Say or type: “Write a short, friendly text to my grandson congratulating him on his new job,” then copy, edit if needed, and send. I do this all the time, sometimes asking for a bit of humor, too. 

6. AI for health tips  

Each morning: "Give me a simple, safe health habit to focus on today, in one or two sentences.” I'm an 80 year old runner, so I often ask for conditioning or nutrition ideas 

7. AI for staying mentally sharp  

 Ask: “Give me 5 trivia questions about 1960s music” or “Make a simple word game for an 80‑year‑old that I can play on my phone for 10 minutes.” Amazing results on this prompt or something like it. Have been working lately on remembering what was happening when I was in college--60 years ago! 

8. AI‑assisted plan for tomorrow  

Evenings: Create a checklist for tomorrow (all the errands, calls, appointments, exercise, TV programs) then put the items into your phone’s reminders or calendar. 

9. Fraud  and identity protection

(Free trial) SeniorShield.ai  (plus, if budget allows, IDShield) for fraud/identity. As seniors we are prime targets for scammers, especially those using AI. Some kind of protection, even if it is a grandkid, is essential!

10. Legal support 

 (Free trial) Vikk ai to decode legal language before calling a human lawyer (plus, if budget allows Legalshield) for subscription-based "live" lawyer support. Same as #9 above, you need a plan. Even if trouble shows up, you can usually go ahead and subscribe to Legalshield, for example, for a month only and get helpful advice. 

*Luddite: One who is resistant to technological change. 

And you can always connect with me, of course: wracton@gmail.com

"The Lord is my strength and my shield . . .! " (Psalm 28:7)
Legalshield has my back!

Three more recent cases where AI'd criminals "demand" professional identity protection

Picture this.

Clker.com

You’re making dinner. The TV is murmuring in the background. You’re thinking about tomorrow’s to‑do list. The phone rings. It’s your daughter’s name and photo on the screen. You answer.

What you hear next freezes mind and body . . .

“Mom, help me! Please help me!”  

She sounds terrified, sobbing, her voice shaking. Then another voice comes on—cold, demanding. “We have your daughter. Don’t call the police. If you want to see her again, send money . . . ” 

In that moment, every thouight of “I’d never fall for that” disappears. Your heart races. Your hands go numb. You are not analyzing; you are reacting.

That is exactly what happened recently to a parent in Lehi, Utah. A scammer used AI to clone the child’s voice from online sources and played it over the phone during a fake kidnapping call.  The parents did what any loving mom or dad would do—panicked. Only when they saw their daughter at school did they realize it was a scam. The criminals didn't have the child, but they did have something else: enough of the family’s digital footprint to weaponize their love and vulnerability against them. 

***

A widowed woman or a man who has been alone far too long—joins an online dating site. The messages start coming. One stands out: thoughtful, kind, patient. They text every day. They talk on the phone. They even video‑chat. The face is attractive, the voice is warm, the attention is gratifying. Over weeks, this new “someone” remembers birthdays, asks about grandkids, prays with her or him, and shares thoughts about a future together. 

Then the conversation turns to money.

Maybe it’s an “investment opportunity.” Maybe it’s an emergency—surgery overseas, a frozen bank account, a sudden business crisis. The details change, but the pressure and tactics are the same: “I just need you to help me this once. I promise I’ll pay you back. Don’t tell anyone; they wouldn’t understand.”

One Chicago‑area man lost $70,000 this way to an AI‑enhanced romance scam.  The photos looked real. The chats were fluent and sweet. The relationship felt genuine. By the time he realized she wasn’t who she claimed to be, his savings and a large loan were gone.  What hurt most was not just the money; it was the betrayal. The feeling that his loneliness had been turned into a weapon against him. 

***'

And then there are the quieter, slower more insidious attacks.

A friendly voice calls to do a “quick survey” for seniors: “We’re just updating our records.” They ask about your health, your insurance, your bank. They sound polite, patient, even respectful. Later, that same information is sold to other criminals. In some cases, scammers are now using AI to clone a person’s own voice to authorize fake payments or open accounts in their name. 

Imagine hearing a recording that sounds exactly like you “agreeing” to something you never said. 

For older adults—especially women who manage their households, care for aging spouses or grandkids, and handle the family paperwork—this new world can feel overwhelming.

Here’s the hard truth: this is not about how smart you are; it’s about how sophisticated the attacks have become. AI has made scams more personal, believable, and emotionally targeted than ever, designed to hit you when you’re scared for your child, starved for companionship, or simply tired and distracted. 

That’s why common sense is no longer enough. You need professional, proven backup.

***

A strong identity protection plan like IDShield is not a luxury anymore; it’s part of basic modern life—like locking your doors at night or wearing a seatbelt.

• - It monitors for signs that your identity is being misused, even while you sleep.  
• - It alerts you when your personal information appears where it shouldn’t.  
• - It gives you licensed private investigators and fraud specialists to call when something feels wrong, so you’re not trying to untangle fraud alone.  
• - It helps you restore your identity if the worst happens, instead of leaving you to navigate a maze of phone trees and paperwork by yourself.  

If you are a mom, a grandmother, or an older adult who others depend on, this is not just about you. It’s about protecting the people who look to you for stability, wisdom, and care.

So let me ask you gently but directly:

If that terrifying phone call came today—if a “perfect match” slid into your messages tonight—would you have a system like IDShield in place? Or would you be standing alone, trying to fight a new kind of criminal with yesterday’s tools?

You don’t have to wait until you’ve been scared, shamed, or cleaned out to take action. You can decide now to put a layer of protection around your name, your finances, and your family.

If you’re ready to stop just hoping you won't be targeted and start preparing for the world we actually live in, take the next step: call/text or email me at [423-660-7400 - wracton@gmail.com] or visit [www.williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com] and let me help you put IDShield protection around your life before the next AI‑powered scam comes knocking.

Hey. I'm with IDShield. There are many new systems on the market, playing off the threat of AI today, but there are very few with the 50 year history of Legal Shield in this area and the available family-affordable plans. As NIKE puts it so well: Just do it! (Even if not with us!) 

This blog post was created with help of Perplexity.AI but was conceived of, drafted and extensively edited by a human, Bill Acton, who is solely responsible for the contents and accuracy of the linked reports.