Digital Wings of AI for the 50+ Generation

This article summarizes the webinar "Digital Wings of AI for the 50+ Generation," (Eng. subtitles) which took place on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The webinar was organized in cooperation with the Kariera 50+ initiative and served as an introduction to the world of artificial intelligence for individuals with mature professional experience..

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, the question 'What do you know about artificial intelligence?' is increasingly common. For many in the 50+ generation, this query can spark uncertainty or even apprehension. Is AI truly necessary? Is it too late to embrace new skills after fifty? And is this powerful technology genuinely accessible to everyone?

The Potential of Professional Maturity in the AI Era

I deeply believe that artificial intelligence can become true digital wings for the immense experience, knowledge, and wisdom that mature individuals have gained through years of work and life. In my AI for Everyone project, which I lead with over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, I am guided by the mission of democratizing AI knowledge. I want this technology to be accessible and understandable to everyone.

(Eng. subtitles)

AI is not a complex technology that threatens professional roles; rather, it is a powerful tool designed to unlock the inherent potential of professional maturity. Professional maturity, as Magdalena Merk, founder of the Kariera 50+ initiative, aptly put it, "can unlock profound new value." This value, combined with the opportunities offered by AI, can create a unique synergy often lacking in earlier career stages.

"Kariera 50+" initiative – A Community That Joins Forces

During the webinar, Magdalena Merk, founder of the Kariera 50+ initiative, shared the history of this community:

"The Kariera 50+ initiative was created out of the need to counteract stereotypes and discrimination against people over 45-50 years old in the labor market. In the public sphere, when talking about '50-year-olds in the labor market,' associations with the Silver Generation or senior policy often appeared, directing attention to this stage of life, which concerns people in retirement.

Meanwhile, people aged 45-50 often experience a kind of age discrimination, encountering prejudices and stereotypes. It was in response to these challenges that the Kariera 50+ initiative was born, which currently brings together over 3000 people.

This community has become a place for exchanging knowledge, inspiration, and information, where people who feel that the topic of 'fifty' is starting to affect them can find support and understanding. Importantly, the community is not limited only to the virtual space – stationary events are also organized in various cities."

As Magdalena emphasizes, one of the key elements recognized by this community is the need to understand modern technologies, including AI, to remain competitive in the labor market.

What is Artificial Intelligence and How Has It Evolved?

Artificial intelligence, often referred to by the English acronym AI (Artificial Intelligence), is a field that has come a long way in its development. On my AI for Everyone blog, I have described this fascinating journey in detail in the article "Introduction to AI - From First Steps to GenAI".

The history of AI dates back to the 1950s, when this field of science was officially launched at the Dartmouth conference in 1956. Over the next 70 years, technology went through various stages of development – from the first expert systems, through periods of "AI winters" (when enthusiasm and funding drastically decreased), to the current era of generative AI.

Today, AI has ceased to be the domain of science fiction and has become a real tool supporting us in everyday life. While once the success of AI was defeating the world chess champion (like Deep Blue's victory over Garry Kasparov in 1997), today we are talking about generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), which can create new content based on existing data.

An interesting evolution in the perception of AI can be traced in the text "How Our Understanding of AI Changes - From Chess to Prediction Machines" on the AI for Everyone blog. Our understanding of AI has evolved from perceiving it as a system capable of performing specific tasks (like playing chess) to the concept of "prediction machines" – systems that analyze data and predict future trends or results.

What is AI Chat and How to Talk to It?

AI Chat, also known as a conversational assistant, is a system based on artificial intelligence tools that enables natural, intelligent conversations between a human and a machine. It operates on advanced language models (LLM - Large Language Models) that have been trained on massive text datasets.

The training process of such a language model is, in simplified terms, as follows: billions of text datasets (books, articles, websites) are processed by complex neural networks. The model learns to predict the next word in a sequence by analyzing patterns and dependencies in the data. It gradually optimizes its internal parameters (of which there are billions) to better predict what will appear next in the text. After thousands of hours of computation on supercomputers, the model begins to understand the structure of language and the content contained in the data. It is thanks to this process that the model can answer questions and generate meaningful content.

I want you to understand one key thing: AI chat is not an "artificial human" or a "digital oracle" in a mystical sense – it is an advanced tool that, based on probability calculations, proposes the most expected answer. I discussed this concept in more detail in the article "Digital Oracle - Between Myth and Reality of Modern AI".

The most popular AI chat tools include:

• ChatGPT (from Open AI)
• Claude (from Anthropic)
• Gemini (from Google)
• Copilot (from Microsoft)
• Bielik i Plum (Polish tools)

On my AI for Everyone blog, you will also find an interesting history of chatbots, from the simple ELIZA program in 1966 to advanced generative systems, in the article "From Eliza to ChatGPT: The History of Chatbots and Their Role in AI Development".

The Key is the Prompt, or the Art of Asking Questions

The most important element of effective communication with AI is the so-called prompt – a command, question, or instruction directed to artificial intelligence. It is a kind of scenario that specifies exactly what we expect from the AI.

Recent research indicates that the best "prompters" (people who can effectively talk to AI) are often those with humanities backgrounds – philosophers, linguists, or communication specialists. This is due to the fact that these individuals can precisely formulate thoughts and build logical, coherent messages.

This is good news for the 50+ generation! People from this generation often received a solid education in the Polish language and have the ability to formulate precise, grammatically correct communications. This advantage offers enormous potential for quickly implementing AI skills.

Practical Applications of AI - Travel Planning

One of the practical applications of AI that I often present during my training sessions is travel planning. It's worth asking yourself: how long did it used to take to plan a vacation?

I remember how, before the AI era, I spent many hours searching websites, forums, and gathering information about flights, hotels, and tourist attractions. Today, you can ask an AI assistant for help. All you need to do is build an appropriate prompt, specifying:

• Destination (e.g., "I want to spend my vacation in Japan")
• Location preferences (e.g., "I prefer a city, but I'd also like to see the countryside")
• Budget (e.g., "My vacation budget is 10,000 PLN")
• Date and length of stay (e.g., "I'm planning a trip from August 10 for 10 days")
• Accommodation preferences (e.g., "I prefer a hotel")
• Additional attractions (e.g., "I'd like to try local cuisine, visit historical sites, and see traditional Japanese gardens")

After entering such information, the AI can generate a detailed travel plan, taking into account the budget, currency exchange, flights, accommodation, tourist attractions, and much more.

However, it is important to be aware of one key aspect of AI's operation. Language models generate responses based on probability – they choose words and information that statistically best fit the given question and context. When the model does not have exact data (e.g., current flight prices or hotel availability) or when it is at the limit of its knowledge, it still tries to provide a helpful answer. In such situations, it may generate information that sounds convincing and logical but is actually untrue – this is what we call AI "hallucinations".

Therefore, I always emphasize: it is necessary to verify key facts, such as flight prices, hotel availability, or attraction opening hours, before making final decisions.

How to Formulate Effective Prompts?

Based on my experience working with AI, I can offer some tips for formulating effective prompts:

1. Avoid overly general questions - asking "I want to go on vacation" is too general, and the AI will have to ask for details. Imagine a stranger approaching us on the street and only saying: "I want to go on vacation." Our reaction would probably be similar to that of AI – we would need clarification: where, when, within what budget, to be able to provide a helpful answer.
2. Provide context - the more relevant information we provide, the better the AI's answer will be.
3. Be precise - instead of asking "Where can I go on vacation?", it's better to ask "Where can I go on vacation in Japan on a budget of 10,000 PLN?".
4. Avoid asking too many questions at once - it's better to ask one specific question at a time. Everyone would have trouble answering too many questions simultaneously.
5. Specify the answer format - if we expect the answer in a specific format (e.g., a list, a table, a detailed plan), it's worth noting this in the prompt.

A well-constructed prompt contains precisely formulated expectations, provides appropriate context, and specifies the desired answer format.

Practical Applications of AI in Personal and Professional Life

As part of my AI for Everyone project, I observe and test numerous possibilities for using artificial intelligence in both personal and professional life:

In personal life:

• Creating personalized plans (travel, diet, training)
• Managing daily tasks
• Support in learning new skills
• Developing hobbies and creative projects

In professional activity:

• Generating content for websites and social media
• Brainstorming (e.g., by asking AI to take on different roles in a discussion)
• Analyzing trends and market research
• Personalizing communication with clients
• Creating presentations and reports

My own AI for Everyone project was born from conversations with ChatGPT during walks with my husky dog. During these long, hour-and-a-half walks in the forest, I used voice mode and talked to AI about ideas, names, the mission, and the vision of the project. From these conversations emerged the entire concept of democratizing AI knowledge, which I am now implementing.

However, it is important for me to draw attention to the ethical aspect of using AI, including the anonymization of personal data before entering it into publicly available models and informing about the use of AI when creating content.

AI and Demographics - An Opportunity for the 50+ Generation

Recent research indicates that 42% of Poles consciously use AI solutions, positioning Poland at the forefront of Europe. This marks a significant increase from just eighteen months ago, when the country ranked among the lowest in European AI adoption.

However, in the 50-65 age group, the percentage of people using AI is the lowest. Moreover, only 14.5% of all AI users declare that they can effectively use these tools, including writing prompts.

This shows a huge gap and potential for this age group. I observe that more and more companies are implementing AI tools as a standard and conducting training for their employees. In the near future, a lack of basic AI skills may constitute a barrier to applying for jobs or effectively performing professional duties.

"Digital Wings 50+" Initiative - AI for Mature Individuals

In response to these needs, together with the Kariera 50+ initiative, I created the "Digital Wings 50+ - AI for Mature Individuals" program. This is a series of training courses dedicated to mature individuals who want to learn how to effectively use artificial intelligence tools.

I conduct training in small, intimate groups, which ensures comfort of learning and the opportunity to ask questions without embarrassment. The program consists of seven modules, each lasting 90 minutes:

• Module 1: Introduction to AI - discovering what artificial intelligence is, how tools like Gemini work, basic principles of safe use of AI technology. You can find the course on the website https://www.naffy.io/magdalena-merk/wprowadzenie-do-swiata-sztucznej-inteligencji-ai-i-promptow-pierwsze-kroki-HIx
  

• Module 2: Foundations of Effective Prompting - learning how to construct prompts, understanding their most important structural elements, the ability to precisely formulate thoughts. You can find the course on the website https://www.naffy.io/magdalena-merk/fundamenty-skutecznego-promptowania-budujemy-solidne-podstawy-IzM
  
• Subsequent modules (3-7): Advanced prompting techniques, using AI in specific tools and applications.

I conduct training using publicly available, free tools, mainly Gemini from Google, which eliminates the financial barrier to starting an adventure with AI..

Summary - AI as an Opportunity, Not a Threat

For the 50+ generation, artificial intelligence does not have to be a threat or a technological barrier – it can become true digital support that will help utilize professional and personal potential.

Mature individuals have many strengths that are crucial for effective AI use:

• Solid linguistic education, enabling precise prompt formulation
• Rich professional and life experience, which helps in evaluating the quality and usefulness of information provided by AI
• Ability to think critically and verify facts

The democratization of AI knowledge, which is the mission of my AI for Everyone project, aims to make this technology accessible and understandable to everyone, regardless of age or technical education.

In a world where AI is becoming increasingly common, understanding its basics and the ability to effectively use its capabilities is becoming not only an asset but a necessity in the modern labor market. Therefore, I encourage everyone to spread their digital wings and soar to new heights with AI!

Note!
This article was developed with the support of Claude 3.7 Sonnet, an advanced AI language model. Although Claude helped in the organization and presentation of the content, the article is based on the actual transcription of the "Digital Wings of AI for the 50+ Generation" webinar and supplementary materials from the AI for Everyone blog. The text maintains authentic messaging and educational value in line with the mission of democratizing knowledge about artificial intelligence.