OpenAI and AARP group launch ChatGPT workshops for 1,000 older adults

OpenAI Academy and Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP launched free, in-person ChatGPT workshops across 10 U.S. communities on September 16. OpenAI said the initiative was designed to reach 1,000 older adults, an announced target rather than a final attendance count.

The program pairs guided instruction and hands-on exercises with mentors and resources for continued learning. Listings for Denver and Nashville described sessions on AI fundamentals, safety and practical ChatGPT use. The Idaho Commission on Aging separately listed a free Boise-area event involving OpenAI Academy, Senior Planet from AARP and LEARN Idaho.

OpenAI listed participating organizations or Senior Planet sites in Denver, Miami, San Antonio, Montgomery County, Queens, St. Louis, the Twin Cities, Nashville, Fresno and Boise. The announcement did not give a participant allocation for each location, and the opened sources did not provide a final attendance or completion count.

Online safety is also part of the curriculum. OpenAI said participants would learn to recognize scam signals including urgent language, demands for secrecy and suspicious links, and to follow a “pause, think, and ask” rule. In an earlier announcement about its work with AARP, OpenAI said ChatGPT could help assess suspicious content but should not replace personal judgment or basic precautions such as avoiding questionable links and withholding personal information.

For everyday use, OpenAI pointed to trip planning, interpreting confusing letters or bills, checking possible scams, exploring hobbies and staying in touch with family. The workshops are part of a multi-year OpenAI-OATS collaboration announced in September 2025 to expand AI literacy, digital-safety training, privacy education and research for older adults through Senior Planet.

That collaboration followed support for OATS through a Microsoft- and OpenAI-backed $2 million Societal Resilience Fund announced in 2024. A Senior Planet impact report said the funding supported AI education and literacy for adults age 50 and older. OpenAI said questions and feedback from workshop participants would inform future learning resources for older adults.