OpenAI announced on September 16, 2026 that its OpenAI Academy, in collaboration with Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP, is hosting the Older Adults AI Skills Jam, a free, in-person learning experience intended to help older adults use ChatGPT. According to OpenAI, the event aims to reach 1,000 older adults across 10 U.S. cities and is part of a multi-year effort launched with OATS through its Senior Planet program. OpenAI cites examples of use including planning a trip, understanding a confusing letter or bill, spotting a possible scam, pursuing a hobby, and staying connected with family. The company states that in the U.S., the share of messages associated with people aged 55 and older grew from 6% to nearly 10% over one year. Online safety is described as a core part of the program, with workshops covering common scam warning signs such as urgent language, secrecy, and suspicious links, and a rule to 'pause, think, and ask.' OpenAI says people ask ChatGPT to help evaluate suspicious messages, emails, and websites tens of millions of times a week. The Skills Jam is run with local partner organizations and builds on prior OpenAI Academy events with nonprofits, small businesses, and K–12 educators.
- The program aims to reach 1,000 older adults across 10 U.S. cities.
- The share of ChatGPT messages associated with U.S. users aged 55+ grew from 6% to nearly 10% in a year, per OpenAI.
- Workshops include scam-spotting guidance: watch for urgent language, secrecy, and suspicious links, and 'pause, think, and ask.'
What it means for you
OpenAI is running free, in-person classes to teach older adults how to use ChatGPT for everyday tasks and how to spot scams. If you or an older relative is curious about AI but nervous about getting started, this is a low-risk way to learn with real people in the room. Most of the value here is the scam-awareness angle, which is genuinely useful regardless of your age.
Try this
Check whether any of the 10 host cities or local partner organizations are near you, and register an interested older relative for a session — or try the 'pause, think, and ask' rule yourself: paste a suspicious email or text into ChatGPT and ask it whether it looks like a scam.
Who should care
Older adults new to AI, and their family members or caregivers who want a structured, safe on-ramp — plus anyone worried about online scams.
Skip this if
You already use AI tools comfortably, you're not near any of the workshop cities, and you don't have an older relative who'd benefit.
Sources: OpenAI — read the original