IS AI SAFE FOR OLDER ADULTS TO USE? WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.

Introduction

When people ask if AI is safe, they're usually asking one of three different questions, and the answer depends on which one is concerning you:

1. Is it safe from hackers stealing your data?
2. Is it safe from giving you dangerously wrong information?
3. Is it safe in the sense that it won't suddenly become sentient and take over the world?

I'll address all three, starting with the one that actually matters and work my way down to the one that doesn't.

What "safe" actually means with AI

Safety with AI isn't about robots going rogue (I covered why that's not happening in Why AI sounds intelligent but isn't). It's about three practical concerns: whether your data is secure, whether the information you get is reliable, and whether using AI creates risks you wouldn't have otherwise.

The first concern is data security, which is about what happens to the all data and PII (Personally Identifiable Information) that you type into an AI system. Your messages go to company servers where they're processed and, depending on the company and service, potentially stored. If you're typing sensitive information like passwords, financial details, or confidential business information, you're trusting that company to keep it secure.

The second concern is misinformation, which is whether the AI gives you accurate information or makes things up. I've covered this already in Why AI makes things up, but it's worth repeating here because getting wrong information can be genuinely harmful or even dangerous depending on what you're using it for. For example, if you have a long discussion with ChatGPT about how to put up shelving in your grandkid's bedroom, including which type of raw materials to buy and it gives you the wrong size or type of wall fixings, that could have serious repercussions.

The third concern is creating new risks, which means using AI in ways that expose you to problems you wouldn't have had otherwise. This includes things like AI-powered scams or becoming overly reliant on AI for tasks where mistakes could be costly. For example, using AI to draft a legal document without having a solicitor review it, or letting AI diagnose a health problem without seeing a doctor to confirm it.

What you can control

You have more control over AI safety than you might think, and most of it comes down to being careful and diligent about what you type, where you type it and what you do with the information when you get it.

Don't type anything sensitive into AI that you wouldn't want another person to see. This includes passwords, bank details, medical information, or confidential business information. Assume that anything you type could potentially be seen by someone at the company (even if their privacy policy says it won't be), and then make your decisions accordingly.

Verify anything important that AI tells you, especially if you're going to act on it. I've covered this repeatedly throughout this site, but it's worth emphasising again because AI makes things up confidently and you won't always spot the errors unless you check. If accuracy matters (medical advice, legal information, financial decisions), don't trust AI alone.

Use AI for low-stakes tasks where errors aren't catastrophic. Drafting emails, brainstorming ideas, explaining concepts you're unfamiliar with - these are all relatively safe uses because mistakes are either obvious or easy to fix. Making medical decisions, managing your finances, or anything else where getting it wrong could harm you is not safe without human verification.

What you can't control

Some aspects of AI safety are out of your hands, and being honest about that is important.

You can't control what the company does with your data after you've typed it in. Most companies claim they don't use your conversations to train future AI models unless you opt in, and most offer some level of data protection, but you're ultimately trusting them to follow their own policies. If that trust doesn't sit well with you, don't use the service.

You can't control how much the AI hallucinates or gives you wrong information. This is baked into how AI works (as I explained in Why AI makes things up), and while some AI systems are more reliable than others, none of them are foolproof. The best you can do is verify important information and treat AI output as a starting point rather than gospel truth.

You can't control whether or not the AI-provider is vulnerable to cyber attack. The majority of companies are audited for their compliance with Information Security standards. Look for accreditations like SOC 2 (System and Organisation Controls 2) or ISO/IEC 27001 (an international standard for information security management). Major tech companies generally have good security, but breaches happen and when they do, your data could be exposed. This is true for any online service (not just AI), but it's worth keeping in mind.

Simple safety practices that actually work

You don’t need to be a security expert to use it safely, and likewise you don't need to avoid it altogether. A few basic habits go a long way.

Think of AI like a helpful stranger you’ve struck up a conversation with in a café. You might chat about ideas or ask for suggestions, but you wouldn’t hand over your credit-card number (or telephone number if you're sensible!) or explain your medical history. The same rule applies here: only share things you’d be comfortable discussing with someone you don’t really know.

Don’t take important advice at face value. If AI gives you information about health, law, or money, treat it as a starting point, not an answer. Check health advice with a doctor, legal points with a lawyer, and financial suggestions with a certified advisor before you spend or commit anything.

Use AI to help you think, not to think for you. It’s great for drafting, outlining, or organising ideas—but the final judgement should always be yours, after you’ve reviewed and checked what it produced.

If you care about how your data is handled, it’s worth searching out the Privacy Policy - there's should be a link to it, frequently at the bottom of the main, home or landing page of their website. Most AI services explain what they store, how long they keep it, and what control you have. They are a yawn to read, but they do matter.

Finally, for work or anything confidential, a paid version is usually safer. Free services tend to have looser privacy terms, while paid or enterprise plans often give clearer guarantees about how your data is protected.

The bottom line

AI is safe enough for everyday use if you're sensible about what you type into it and don't blindly trust everything it tells you. It's not safe if you're treating it as a secure vault for sensitive information or as an infallible oracle for important decisions.

The biggest risk isn't AI itself but how people use it, specifically using it for high-stakes tasks without verification or typing in sensitive information without thinking about where that information goes. If you avoid those two mistakes, you've already handled the main safety concerns.

Is it perfectly safe? No, but neither is using email, online banking, or any other internet service. The question isn't whether it's completely risk-free (nothing is) but whether the risks are manageable if you're careful. For most everyday uses, they are.

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