I am in the top 10%, and that is not a good thing.

Going through my email this morning, I came across this bit of data. Now, this is an estimate, but it also just 'feels' right, based on conversations I am having with those that both use, and don't use, AI in their daily workflow.

In May, I will be 60 years old. I am one of the 5.6% of users of ChatGPT aged 55-64. I also suspect that if one was to look at the other interfaces, like Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, or Midjourney, the numbers might be even less, due to the visibility ChatGPT enjoys.

For me, AI is the great leveller

I might actually push that into what has given me a new sense of purpose, a new set of skills, and a refreshing look at life and career after 60. When most might be considering looking at winding down or being aged-out of their industries, AI can open doors for those that have years of hard-earned experiences and perspectives, which I believe is one of the success factors in effectively thinking about and using AI in an organization's daily workflow.

I can not count how often the question of "So how did you know to ask it that?" comes up when I am talking to companies and demonstrating the power of AI interfaces. My best guess is every single discussion. My years of experience has given me a perspective, a point of view, and history of asking certain questions to get to interesting answers.

And this is why I would encourage every person in these upper age brackets to seriously, and ferociously dive into learning, and using daily, some sort of AI interface in their current, or future roles.

Not Over Yet

Not all of us are interested in retirement yet, and some, including myself, are hoping to work another 10 years. Unlike my father, who's work was very physical, I have enjoyed a career that is more brain than brawn. So I have not put the mileage on the body. And from my experience, my brain has only gotten better with age, because of the earned experiences and perspectives.

I use AI interfaces in way that is similar to how I might talk to anyone - conversational, inquisitive, and feeding my curiosity. But it is also filtered against my time on task across cultures, markets, and industries. While I am not yet a member of the "GET OFF MY LAWN!" crowd, I am quick to spot a problem with the results, and even quicker to recognise when things are going in a wrong direction. It is at these points that I think my experience takes over, questions and prompts and instruction sets change, and my AI and I get in sync.

Experience and curiosity is not a superpower that is only available to an older generation. But perspective developed over time is. And this is why it's a shame that there are not more older folks aggressively becoming members of the AI class.