My parents weren’t convinced about AI until I showed them these 7 apps

As someone who craves anything new and revolutionary, I often wonder how I am the product of my parents, who still have a landline and regularly need help updating their AOL passwords. But recently I decided to try to help them dive into the world of AI.

I started by asking ChatGPT to create an image of George Harrison riding his bike in the snow. My mom, a longtime Beatles fan, was thrilled by the realistic depiction of what looked like the shy musician. ChatGPT censors celebrity image creation for security reasons, but AI comes pretty close. My mom was intrigued and wondered what else AI could do. After reminding her that Siri, Alexa, and Cortana (remember her?) all use AI, I decided to share a few of my favorite easy-to-use AI tools.

If you’re like me and have little time and even less patience, you’ll want to introduce these apps to your parents, older relatives, and anyone else who feels reluctant to explore the world of AI. These apps are simple enough to be self-explanatory and so useful they’ll wonder what other tech you’ve been hiding.

1. ChatGPT

ChatGPT logo on a smartphone resting on a laptop keyboard, illuminated with dark purple light

(Photo Credit: SOPA Images / Contributor via Getty Images)

As mentioned, ChatGPT is something that really wowed my mom and made her want to learn more about AI. This advanced language model developed by OpenAI is great for generating human-like text responses. With its ability to understand and respond to queries on a wide range of topics, it’s perfect for people who are new to AI. The chatbot is great for interactive conversations, content creation, and more. We asked ChatGPT to take a family recipe for Kitchen Sink cookies and change the ingredients to reduce the fat content. I was lucky enough to be able to share in the delicious results, as well as my mom’s amazement.

2. Google Gemini

Google is probably a site your parents are familiar with, but if they’re anything like mine, they may not know they have an AI tool. Given their comfort level with Google, Google Gemini may be an easy transition into AI for them. This common AI app delivers highly personalized search results using large language models. Its unique ability to analyze user preferences and behavior improves overall searches to provide a cutting-edge browsing experience.

3. Google Maps

Google Maps logo on phone screen

(Photo source: Shutterstock)

As one of the most widely used AI apps, your parents may already be using Google Maps without realizing that the AI component offers real-time route planning and traffic updates. If they are still using TripTiks by AAA, they will be surprised by the real-time traffic updates, turn-by-turn directions, and estimated travel times the next time they visit you.

You can also use Google Maps to find places to visit. For example, if you ask Google Maps to find “vintage places in San Francisco,” you’ll get relevant results for clothing stores, vinyl stores, and more.

4. Waze

Waze iPhone app in the car — (Photo source: Shutterstock)

Another AI travel companion, Waze, offers AI-powered notifications on accident-prone roads. If you’re someone who worries like I am, this AI app will give you peace of mind knowing your parents are using it to commute to and from work, wherever they go. As an added bonus, it’s now integrated with Google Assistant, so it’s just a click away with the simple “Hey Google.”

The Waze app uses AI to create alerts on accident history, as well as predictive time of arrival (ETA), which is typically very accurate.

5. Grammatically

Grammarly on your phone

(Photo source: Shutterstock)

If your parents are retired, like mine, they’ve probably picked up a few hobbies. Since retiring, my mom has been devoting more time to writing. She’s always enjoyed it, but she was worried she wouldn’t be able to remember all the grammar she learned in high school. Grammarly is an AI-powered app that empowers users to write their best while also exploring different ways to express themselves. Maybe it’ll inspire them to finally start that novel they’ve been putting off.

6. You

you.com screenshot

(Photo credit: Amanda Caswell screenshot)

Another AI assistant worth investigating is You. A ChatGPT-style chatbot that provides quick results to answer questions, generate ideas, translate text, and write emails. One reason I like to recommend it to older people is that it helps summarize articles. Everything from news to notifications can be summarized and broken down into terms that are easier to understand. We recently tried it out for a safety recall notice I received in my Jeep.

7. Microsoft CoPilot

Co-pilot

(Photo source: Copilot)

Like Grammerly, Microsoft’s CoPilot is another useful AI writing tool, but it also has an AI assistant component. I recommend this tool, especially if your parents or older relatives already have Microsoft apps on their computer and have one of the best Windows laptops. They may find this app naturally less intimidating. Plus, it works across all Microsoft apps, including Outlook, Teams, and Powerpoint, for super-charged productivity and organization.

Final Thoughts

Change can be hard. I still remember reluctantly switching from a Discman to an iPod. But understanding how change can open new doors and even make life easier will help with the transition. Most of the apps here are intuitive and come from brands that older generations may already recognize, perhaps adding confidence to the process. If my parents can do it, I believe yours can too.