The use of artificial intelligence in China is no longer limited to young people, as elderly citizens are now learning how to use AI applications in their daily lives — from asking questions and solving problems, to editing text, restoring old photos, and generating images that blend the past with the present.
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Training courses for the elderly offer hands-on guidance on how to interact with AI applications, whether through voice messages or typing, and how to use the camera feature to ask questions about their surroundings.
Participants learn how to use these tools to find solutions to everyday problems, such as preparing meals based on ingredients available at home, or helping solve schoolwork problems for their grandchildren.
One participant says she uses the app to learn how to prepare different dishes, and also turns to it to help her granddaughter with schoolwork problems the two of them struggle to solve together.
Reviving Memories of the Past
The courses have expanded to include using AI to restore old photos and revive memories of youth, as well as blending old and new photos together and altering backgrounds, clothing, and scenes, according to a report published on Al Jazeera Net.
A 70-year-old participant told Al Jazeera Mubasher that she used what she learned to merge a photo of herself taken in her twenties with a recent one, saying the result gave her a sense of happiness after being able to bring together images of her past and present selves.
Some participants also use AI tools to edit their articles and personal writings.
One participant said she turned to the app after mistakenly copying paragraphs into a text she was writing and being unable to delete them properly, so the app helped her remove the incorrect sections and reconnect the text smoothly.
The idea to train elderly people in AI came from one trainer's personal experience with his mother, whom he discovered was already using an AI app to ask cooking-related questions. This prompted him to think about bringing the experience to different residential neighborhoods and offering training to elderly residents. Since late 2025, the initiative has expanded to around 50 residential neighborhoods, with an average of 30 elderly participants in each, bringing the total number of trainees to around 2,000 people.
Those running the initiative say the strong interest shown by elderly participants in learning AI tools demonstrates their readiness to engage with technology and benefit from it, even though they need more time to learn compared to younger generations.
Technology in the Face of Loneliness
The participants' interests aren't limited to practical uses — some see AI as a means of connection and a way to cope with feelings of loneliness.
One participant says she sometimes turns to the app to chat when she's alone or can't find anyone at home to talk to. Some elderly participants also hope to expand their use of AI to help them remember how to write words they've forgotten, and to make using technology easier in their daily lives.
