AI That Seniors Can Learn: Seven Everyday Uses of ChatGPT and Gemini

This article summarises a Taiwanese YouTube tutorial; it is not our own course. The video was published by the channel 大有牧森 Austin Chou on 28 June 2026, runs 18 minutes 45 seconds and had about 385,000 views when we read it. The author’s premise is simple: rather than teaching older adults abstract AI concepts, replace a few everyday “can’t read it, can’t see it, can’t remember it” problems with one-tap actions.

Before You Start: Three Things to Set Up

The author leaves installation and setup to family members for a practical reason: signing up, linking accounts and remembering passwords cost older users too much. The video suggests installing and logging in to ChatGPT, Google Gemini, a meeting-notes tool and a ride-hailing app first, then placing the icons on the phone’s first screen or bottom dock.

• The senior needs basic input: handwriting, phonetic typing or simply speaking.
• The intended audience is seniors who move independently and are lucid; do not push it on anyone whose cognitive condition makes it unsuitable.
• Practise each function together three to five times until it becomes muscle memory, then let the senior use it alone.

The Six Scenarios Demonstrated in the Video

1. Reading Foreign-Language Bottles and Packaging

Open Gemini, tap the chat icon at bottom right, then the live-camera icon at bottom left, point the lens at the bottle or box and say: “I can’t read this — tell me what it says.” The model names the product, explains what it is for, and will read the ingredients on the back. The author notes that this feature in ChatGPT requires a paid plan; for a free option, use Gemini.

2. Having Small Print or Foreign Text Read Aloud

The same live camera works for letters, book pages or manuals: “The print is tiny and in English — read it out to me in Chinese.” The video suggests first giving Gemini a standing instruction to always answer in Taiwanese-accented Mandarin when live camera is used, and to save that to memory so it need not be repeated. The author also warns against photographing documents that contain personal or confidential data.

3. A Helper for Medical Appointments

Older patients often forget instructions, dosages and how much ointment to apply. The video’s method: first ask the doctor’s permission — “I’m older and forgetful, my children can’t come with me, may I record this so I don’t misremember?” — then record with a meeting-notes tool, pause and save at the end, and open the summary at home. The author uses Dopi Note, which he says includes three free hours on sign-up; he does not require viewers to buy it, and we do not reproduce his discount link.

4. Making Your Own Good-Morning Cards — and Appliance Guides

Older users often forward other people’s greeting images. The video shows how to generate one in ChatGPT: describe the scenery (Mount Fuji, for instance) and the wording (“Good morning my friend, wishing you a wonderful day”), add “ratio 3:4”, send, then save the image. A photo taken on a trip can be uploaded as the background. The author adds that the same method can produce simple instruction cards for household appliances.

5. A Personal Chat Companion

This one came from the author’s mother: seniors alone at home, widowed or with children far away, need someone to talk to. The method is to open a ChatGPT conversation, write the role instructions first (what to discuss, what tone, and to refer medical or distressing topics to a professional), give it a name such as “Xiao Nuan”, then teach the senior to open that conversation and switch on voice mode. The author stresses that the instructions exist to keep the conversation within safe bounds.

6. Checking a Screenshot for Scams

Facebook and LINE are where most unsolicited ads and messages reach older users. The video teaches them to take a screenshot (side button plus volume button on iPhone), send it to ChatGPT and ask: “Is this real or fake? Search for information — is it a scam?” The author treats this as a first line of defence.

Bonus: Hailing a Ride on the Phone

This segment was requested by the author’s parents. Family members install and set up the app; the senior only needs three steps: enter the destination in “Where to?”, enter the pickup point on the map, then choose the first taxi option and check the estimated fare. The video recommends paying in cash and cancelling within three minutes of a successful booking, since later cancellation may incur a fee.

The Boundaries Matter More Than the Features

• Never photograph documents with personal or confidential data for an AI; pause for a second before you do.
• Get the doctor’s consent before recording — a matter of courtesy and of respect for another person’s privacy.
• Scam-checking is only a first pass; verify independently before transferring money, ideally with a family member.
• A chat companion can ease loneliness but cannot replace human company or professional help.
• The paid software, discount codes and prices mentioned belong to the creator’s commercial arrangements; we do not endorse them.

Tools only make the task in front of you simpler; what actually reassures an older person is someone sitting beside them for three practice runs.

Source: YouTube channel 大有牧森 Austin Chou, “長輩都要會的AI應用，用ChatGPT+ Gemini 讓生活更方便｜完整保姆級教學”, published 28 June 2026, 18m45s. This summary follows the video’s chapters and transcript; view and like counts are as read and subject to change on the platform. The cover uses the video’s official thumbnail; copyright remains with the creator.