GOODYEAR, AZ (AZFamily) — The Optum Community Center in Goodyear was fielding so many questions about artificial intelligence that staff decided to organize a new class: AI for Seniors.
Allen Gordon, a manager at Optum Community Centers who holds a master’s degree in AI and business from Arizona State University, led the session. He opened with a foundational question: What is AI?
Gordon described AI as a computer that can learn or problem-solve like a human. He offered examples including facial recognition on smartphones, music recommendations, and voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa.
He also pointed to AI-powered chatbots available through web browsers like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
“AI can do a lot,” Gordon said. “It can help us do data analysis if you’re working for a business. It can help us create something from nothing, like recipes.”
Gordon recounted that AI first emerged as a field of research in the 1950s, when computer scientists set out to create software that could reason.
‘It’s meant to be an assistant’
Gordon told the class of 27 seniors that AI is not a replacement for human judgment.
“The biggest message to take away was that AI is meant to be a support, it’s meant to be an assistant, and it’s meant to augment things that we’re already doing,” Gordon said. “It’s not meant to replace it.”
He said skepticism is important when using AI tools because of the potential for misinformation. He specifically addressed hallucinations: instances when an AI generates false information and presents it as fact. Gordon warned against relying on an AI chatbot for something like a medical diagnosis.
“AI is meant to be a support and assistant,” he said. “It’s not meant to be a provider. It’s not meant to be a doctor.”
Voice cloning, fake images among concerns
Two attendees, Yolanda and Mary, said they came to the class wanting to understand both the benefits and the risks of AI.
Yolanda described a phone call she received in which a voice repeatedly called out to her as “mommy.” She said she believes the call involved an AI tool used to manipulate a voice.
Gordon addressed how generative AI can produce fake images and videos, making it difficult to distinguish real content from fabricated content. He said visual inconsistencies, such as irregular movements, mismatched audio, or unusual image details, can serve as indicators that content was AI-generated.
He referenced widely circulated AI-generated videos of Will Smith as an example of how the technology has evolved. While early versions of the actor eating spaghetti were clearly artificial, more recent outputs are harder to detect, though audio and facial movement mismatches can still reveal them.
Practical uses for everyday life
Gordon also encouraged attendees to explore what AI can do for them personally.
Mary, who recently purchased a musical organ, wondered if AI could teach her how to play it. She left with the knowledge that chatbots like ChatGPT can create for a personalized lesson.
“There’s a lot of things that AI can do,” Gordon said. “I just challenge the members to be creative. Talk to ChatGPT or talk to Gemini and say, ‘Can you do this?’ And see what kind of idea it gives you.”
The Goodyear session was the second AI class held at the Optum Community Center. Staff said they will likely have another
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