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Stories / Learning / I'm 71 and I figured out AI. Here's how โ€ฆ
MR
Michael Rogers
June 26, 2026 ยท Learning
SKILL LEVEL
Beginner
AI TOOL
๐Ÿค– Claude

I'm 71 and I figured out AI. Here's how I actually started.

I want to write this for other people my age because most of the advice about AI is written for young people and assumes you already know things I didn't know. I'm 71. Retired accountant. I've used computers since the 80s but I've never found them intuitive. My grandchildren set me up with Claude and explained the basics. The first thing I had to accept: you can talk to it like a person. Not commands. Not search terms. Just talk. My first proper conversation: "I'm trying to understand my new TV remote. Can you explain to me what each button does if I describe them to you?" That's it. That's how easy it can start. Since then: I've used it to help me understand my medical test results before seeing my doctor. To help me write letters I wasn't sure how to word. To help me research a car I was thinking about buying. To help me understand what my super fund documents are actually saying. Every time I use it I feel more capable, not less. I'm not dependent on my children for things I don't understand anymore. That independence matters to me enormously. If you're my age and think this isn't for you โ€” please try it. Start with something small. Ask it to help you with one thing. See what happens.

โœฆ WORKFLOW STEPS
1Start with one simple, practical thing โ€” something that frustrates you or confuses you
2Talk to it like a person โ€” not commands, just explain what you need
3If the answer is confusing, say "I didn't understand that, can you explain it more simply?"
4Keep a note of things you find useful so you remember to try them again
5Don't worry about doing it "wrong" โ€” there's no wrong way to ask a question

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