Everyday A.I. For Those Who Didn’t Grow Up With It.
Technology moves pretty fast; if we don’t stop to look around once in a while, we could miss it.
Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, from phone suggestions and emails to services claiming they can “think” for us. Before we know it, we’re not just trying to learn it for ourselves, but we’re also helping our parents, older relatives, or friends figure it out too.
Meanwhile, our own kids or teens look at us like we’ve been living under a rock. “You don’t know how to do this?” they ask, easily tapping on a screen with a confidence that feels out of reach for us. It’s humbling and sometimes a little embarrassing. To realize your kids are already fluent in the technology of tomorrow, while you’re still figuring out how to ask ChatGPT a question without feeling clueless.
I know this firsthand because my mom, at 75, asked me to explain AI in a way that actually made sense. That conversation sparked an idea: what if we could all learn AI calmly, without stress or jargon, while still staying in control of our own decisions, and maybe even keep a shred of dignity along the way?
What AI Really Is (and Isn’t)
AI often feels like some mysterious force from the future, partly because newsoutlets and a few “notable experts” love to frame it as our new overlord. Headlines warn us it’s coming for our jobs, our privacy, or maybe even our souls. Okay, so you could maybe argue that some jobs have been jeopardized, but like any evolving civilization over time, jobs do change. Take a look back at Ice Cutters: Men who cut blocks of ice from frozen lakes and ponds with hand saws for use in refrigerator ice boxes. Lucky for us, technology made that job a lot more convenient for us, and I’m sure Mr. Ice Cutter went on to many other lucrative trades.
So the truth? AI is a tool. And unlike a calculator, it guesses the answers. It looks for patterns and predicts outcomes based on a variety of examples. It can help draft emails, organize thoughts, or brainstorm questions for doctors (I use this one a lot), but it does not think, feel, or know truth. The scary scenarios are mostly a way to get eyeballs. What matters is understanding how to use it thoughtfully, not panicking because someone on the internet said it will “take over everything.” This is where I want to interrupt the narrative. Gen X kids, we are still pretty good at deciphering bullshit; it’s just in our nature, it’s who we are. But our Baby Boomer parents can be so vulnerable when it comes to technology and misinformation.
The goal isn’t to become AI experts overnight. It’s about understanding it enough to guide ourselves, our parents, and anyone we care for, knowing when it is helpful and when it’s not.
Why It Matters for Gen X Caregivers
Even if we don’t use AI daily, it’s quietly taking over the world around us, and our parents’ world too. Learning a few basics can help us:
Draft emails or letters for ourselves, or our loved ones, without feeling like we need a full-time assistant.
Organize questions before appointments, because yes, we forget things faster than we admit.
Explore new ideas without collapsing into an existential spiral of “what if this AI replaces my brain?”
Stay confident while helping parents or relatives navigate tech that makes them mutter things like, “Is it spying on me?”
And let’s be real: part of it is saving face in front of our kids and teens. Watching them zip through ChatGPT can be humbling. A little embarrassing. Ok, a lot humbling. Learning a little bit ourselves gives us a shot at being the “cool adult” instead of the one muttering, “Wait…how do I make it stop?” (Spoiler: they will still roll their eyes, but at least we tried.)
How I Use AI Personally
Mostly, I use ChatGPT to make life a little easier, without telling it my entire life story. This is how it fits into my anxious, slightly exhausted day to day:
Health: Summarizing complicated articles or generating thoughtful questions for doctors. Because if you’re medically complicated like me, it helps to have a tiny robot brain in your corner. Hey, self-advocacy is essential these days.
Business Planning: Brainstorming ideas, drafting content, keeping my ADHD brain on track. Basically, AI is my slightly overachieving coworker who never complains. Even after I ask the same questions ten different ways!
Everyday Life: Drafting emails, reminders, and checklists when my own brain has checked out. Think of it as my burnout assistant, but with much better memory. Think Weird Science vibes, minus the explosions.
The key? Remembering your soul. I always edit what it produces. AI is a helper, not a replacement. My voice, my judgment, and my sarcastic remarks always come first.
My Approach to Using AI
Here’s the principle I share in my workshops: AI is an assistant, not the boss. A few ways to keep it human-friendly:
Start small. Summarize an article, draft a note, or ask a question.
Always review the results. If it doesn’t sound like you, it’s wrong. Don’t let the robot pretend to be you (you won’t hurt its feelings).
Use AI to brainstorm, but trust your judgment for the big decisions. Robots are not lawyers, doctors, or therapists (yet).
Move at your own pace. Curiosity is good enough, just start with that.
And yes, sometimes it feels like we’re in Back to the Future, trying to keep the timeline straight while everything around us changes at lightning speed.
Mostly Free Beginner Tools & Resources
You don’t need to be a real genius or even remotely techy to experiment:
ChatGPT – your new AI sidekick for writing or brainstorming. Think of it like a sous-chef for your brain.
Grammarly – keeps your writing clear while letting your personality shine.
Google Translate – because sometimes even English feels complicated.
OpenAI Help Center – the official “don’t panic, here’s how it works” resource.
Everyday AI Workshop – my calm, accessible introduction to AI for real life.
The Gentle Founder Takeaway
We don’t need to master AI to stay informed. Understanding it, using it thoughtfully, and helping our older parents or loved ones embrace it is enough. The goal is clarity and confidence, not speed or perfection.
That’s why I created Everyday AI, a workshop for people like us: Gen Xers trying to figure this out for ourselves while also coaching our parents, keeping our kids mildly impressed, and surviving life in general.
“If you want to leave, go ahead. But, uh… you’re going to miss the fun.”
Speaking of Fun: You can use AI for Games & Challenges: Play trivia, word games, or “what if” scenarios. Yes, your inner geek gets to run wild.
Try this prompt:
"Create a 10-question Real Genius trivia quiz, with multiple-choice answers, for Gen Xers who watched the movie in the 80s."
Another prompt:
"Explain how the students in Real Genius turned their dorm into a giant skating rink. Include the steps they might have taken, the physics involved, and describe it with humor in the style of Chris Knight narrating the chaos."
Hasta la vista, baby!
