AI CHATBOTS FOR OLDER ADULTS: WHICH ONES SHOULD YOU TRY?

Introduction

If you've looked into trying AI and felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of options, you're not imagining things. It does seem like there are hundreds of different AI tools, each claiming to be essential, each with slightly different names and promises.

Here's the relief: there aren't really hundreds of different AI systems you need to learn. There are about five major ones that matter for general use, and you only need to pick one to start with. The rest is marketing noise.

Why it seems like there are hundreds

The AI landscape looks more complicated than it actually is for a few specific reasons.

Many tools are just wrappers around the main AI systems, which means they're using ChatGPT or Claude under the hood but with a custom interface or specific features added. You're not using a different AI - you're using the same AI packaged differently, often at a higher price.

Specialized tools exist for specific industries or tasks like Jasper for marketing content, GitHub Copilot for programming, or Notion AI for note-taking. These serve particular professional needs, but they're not relevant unless you work in those specific areas. General users don't need them.

Marketing makes every tool sound unique and essential because companies want you to think their particular AI is special and different from all the others. In reality, the underlying technology is often identical, and the actual capabilities overlap significantly.

The result is a crowded market where it looks like you need to learn dozens of different tools when in fact you only need to understand one basic AI system to do most of what matters.

The six that actually matter for general use

For everyday tasks like asking questions, getting explanations, drafting text, or organizing information, there are six main AI chatbots worth knowing about. They do roughly the same things with slightly different strengths.

ChatGPT (made by OpenAI) is the most famous and widely used AI chatbot. It's what most people think of when they hear "AI," it handles general questions well, can write and edit text, explain concepts, and help with a wide range of tasks. If you're only going to try one AI, this is probably it because it's the most established and has the most resources behind it.

Claude (made by Anthropic) is particularly good for longer conversations and detailed writing tasks. It tends to be more careful and thorough in its responses, which makes it useful for tasks where you need nuanced answers or extended back-and-forth discussion. It's what I use to draft the content for this site for what that's worth!

Gemini (made by Google) integrates directly with Google services like Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Search. If you already use Google products extensively, Gemini can work within those tools rather than requiring you to switch to a separate website or app.

Copilot (made by Microsoft) is built into Windows 11 and Microsoft Edge browser, which means if you have a recent Windows computer, you already have access to it without installing anything. It's particularly useful if you use Microsoft products like Office regularly.

Perplexity focuses specifically on searching for and citing information rather than general conversation. If your main use case is researching topics and finding reliable sources, Perplexity is designed specifically for that rather than trying to do everything.

Grok (made by Elon Musk's xAI) is integrated into X (formerly Twitter) and is marketed as less restricted than other AI chatbots. It has direct access to real-time information from X, which can be useful for understanding current events and social media trends. However, it's faced significant controversy over safety failures, including generating non-consensual sexualized images of real people and children, which led to regulatory investigations and bans in several countries. If you're considering Grok, be aware that its "less restricted" approach comes with genuine risks that other major AI providers have chosen to prevent.

What about automation and workflow tools?

You might have also heard about tools like Zapier, n8n, Make (formerly Integromat), or IFTTT. These aren't AI chatbots - they're automation platforms that can connect AI to your other apps and services.

For example, you could set up an automation that takes every email you receive, asks AI to summarize it, and posts that summary to a Slack channel. (Slack is a workplace messaging app where teams can chat, share files, and organize conversations into different channels for different topics or projects.) Or one that monitors a website for changes and asks AI to alert you if something important happens. These tools act as the "plumbing" that connects AI to everything else you use.

They're powerful for people who want to automate repetitive tasks, but they're not where you should start if you're new to AI. The reason being that you need to understand what AI can and can't do reliably before you automate it, and these tools require some technical knowledge to set up properly (even the "no-code" ones still require understanding how different services connect).

If you're just getting started with AI, ignore automation tools entirely. Learn how to use a basic AI chatbot first, understand its capabilities and limitations, and only then consider whether automating certain tasks would actually be useful. E.g. Are there any tasks which you do every day and which you wish could be done quicker or more efficiently (or both!), freeing up some of your valuable time? If the answer is "God, yes!!" then you could consider investigating which tools could help you.

The key point: you don't need all of these!

These AI systems are competitors offering similar services. You don't need to learn all of them any more than you need to use every search engine or every email provider. Pick one based on what you already use, learn the basics, and ignore the rest unless you have a specific reason to try something different later.

Simple guide to choosing one

Rather than trying to evaluate dozens of options, ask yourself a few simple questions.

Do you use Google products a lot? If you live in Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs, try Gemini because it integrates directly with those tools and can work with your existing Google data.

Do you use Microsoft Windows or Office? If you have Windows 11 or use Microsoft 365, try Copilot because it's already built in and you don't need to create a new account or learn a new interface. If you are an Apple afficianado, there really isn't much for you, unfortunately. Siri has some very limited AI features and Apple Intelligence, running only on the latest Apple processors has features like Writing tools and integration with Mail, Messages and Notes. But it's hardly setting the world on fire!

Do you want the most capable option for general use? Try ChatGPT because it's the most established, has the most development behind it, and handles the widest range of tasks competently. (And that was Claude recommending it... They're all best pals really!)

Do you need help with long, detailed writing or complex explanations? Try Claude because it's designed for extended conversations and tends to give more thorough, nuanced responses.

Are you mainly interested in researching topics and finding sources? Try Perplexity because it's specifically designed for information search rather than general conversation.

If none of those questions gives you a clear answer, just pick ChatGPT and start there. It's free to try, widely used, and good enough for most purposes.

Why you don't need to "learn one every day"

You might (no - you WILL) see advice online suggesting you should try different AI tools constantly or learn a new one every day. That advice is either coming from people who are professionally interested in AI (developers, researchers, tech journalists) or from marketing trying to get you to sign up for their specific service. I guarantee it is somebody wanting to sell you something!

For general users, that approach is counterproductive because learning the basics of how to use AI effectively is more valuable than trying every variation. Once you understand how one AI chatbot works, that knowledge transfers to others because they all work similarly. Generally speaking, a prompt is a prompt, right?

Most people only need one general-purpose AI chatbot for everyday tasks. Specialized tools matter for professionals with specific needs (programmers need coding AI, marketers need content AI, designers need image AI), but if you're just trying to understand AI and use it occasionally, one general chatbot is enough.

The goal isn't to become an AI expert who knows every tool on the market. The goal is to understand what AI can and can't do, try one system to see if it's useful for your needs, and use it when it actually helps rather than feeling obligated to use it constantly.

Getting started

Pick one of the five options based on what you already use or what seems most accessible. Create an account (most offer free versions), and start with simple tasks like asking it to explain something you're curious about or help you draft an email.

Don't worry about learning "advanced features" or "power user tips" right away. Just have a conversation with it, ask it questions, see what it can do. The interface is designed to be straightforward - you type what you want, it responds, you continue the conversation. And if you are not sure how or what to put - ask it! Seriously!

If you don't like the one you picked, try a different one. They're free to try, and switching between them doesn't cost anything beyond a bit of time creating a new account.

The important thing is to actually try one rather than spending weeks researching which one is "best" or feeling overwhelmed by all the options. They're all reasonably good at the basics, and you'll learn more from ten minutes of actually using one than from reading comparisons and reviews indefinitely.

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