Issue #1 · Friday, October 16, 2026
Welcome to AI for Seniors: your first simple AI tip
Welcome!
Thank you for joining AI for Seniors. Each day we send one short email. It has one tip, one scam warning, and one helpful tool. No jargon. Nothing to buy.
AI in plain words
"AI" stands for artificial intelligence. It is a computer program that can understand questions and write answers, a bit like a very well-read helper. It learned by reading huge amounts of text. It does not think or feel like a person, and it can be wrong, sometimes sounding very sure of itself. So use it for ideas and explanations, and check anything important about health, money, or the law with a real person you trust.
Scam watch: fake calls from "family"
Scammers can now copy a loved one's voice using a short clip from online videos. Then they call, sounding just like your grandchild, and say they are in trouble and need money fast. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns: don't trust the voice. Hang up and call your loved one back on a number you know is theirs. Be very careful if anyone asks you to wire money, send cryptocurrency, or buy gift cards. Michigan's Attorney General repeated this warning in March 2026 and suggests a family "safe word" that only your family knows.
Read the Michigan Attorney General's alert
Spotted a scam? Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Helpful tool of the day: Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes is a free phone app for people who are blind or have low vision. Point your phone's camera at a letter, a label, or a medicine bottle, and the app's AI describes what it sees out loud. You can also connect with a human volunteer. It is our top-rated helper. One honest note: AI can misread things, so for medicine doses, double-check with your pharmacist.
More on our website
Short guides and our list of the best AI helpers are waiting for you.