What Reader’s Digest Wants You to Know About AI — And What I’d Add

What the Article Gets Right

The article, “Making Friends with AI,” is written by Sage Lazzaro, a technology journalist who has been covering AI for publications like Fortune and VentureBeat for about ten years. The fact that this piece appears in Reader’s Digest — not Wired, not MIT Technology Review, but Reader’s Digest — tells you everything about where we are right now. AI has crossed over from “tech industry news” to “something your neighbor is talking about at the mailbox.”

I read it cover to cover, and I want to share what they got right, what deserves more attention, and what I’d add specifically for anyone over 60 who is still figuring out where they stand with this technology.

First, credit where it’s due. Lazzaro does an excellent job of explaining AI in plain language. She describes today’s AI systems as enormous prediction engines — software that has been trained on huge amounts of text and is very good at guessing what word should come next in a sentence. They’re not thinking. They’re not conscious. They’re pattern-matching at a scale we have never seen before.

The practical examples in the article are refreshingly real: people using AI to plan workouts, organize meals, name a puppy, even analyze the wear patterns on running shoes to recommend a better pair. One person uses an AI chatbot as a kind of personal assistant — dumping every worry and to-do item from her day and letting the AI organize it into next week’s schedule.

The article also handles risk in a balanced way. It discusses emotional dependency on chatbots, the problem of AI confidently making things up (known as “hallucinating”), privacy concerns, and the rise of AI-generated fake images and videos. It doesn’t sugarcoat, and it doesn’t frighten you into avoiding the technology. That balance is exactly the right tone for a general audience.

What I’d Add for Adults 60+

The Reader’s Digest piece is written for everyone — which means it doesn’t address the specific concerns and advantages that matter most to our generation. Here is what I’d add.

You Don’t Need to Try Four Platforms at Once

The article suggests experimenting with different chatbots — ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini — to see how each responds. That’s fine advice for a tech-savvy thirty-year-old. But if you are just starting, pick one. Learn it. Get comfortable. You can always explore the others later. There is no rush, and bouncing between platforms before you’re confident with one will just create confusion.

Privacy Concerns Are Amplified for Older Adults

The article notes that the company behind ChatGPT once experimented with making users’ chat conversations visible in Google searches — without telling the users. It also points out that AI “health features” aren’t covered by HIPAA, the federal medical privacy law. These should concern everyone, but they matter especially for older adults, who are already disproportionately targeted by scammers and data thieves.

Voice Mode Deserves More Attention

The article barely mentions it, but for anyone who finds typing on a small screen tedious or frustrating, talking to AI is a game-changer. You can hold what feels like a phone call with ChatGPT — ask questions out loud, hear answers read back to you, dictate emails for it to polish. If typing has been a barrier, voice mode removes it entirely.

You’re in the Driver’s Seat — But Someone Needs to Show You Where the Steering Wheel Is

The article closes with the empowering idea that you, the reader, decide how AI fits into your life. I agree completely. But after working with many people over 60, I can tell you the issue is almost never willingness. It’s knowing where to start. Someone walking you through the first few steps — in plain language, at your pace, without judgment — is what turns “I should try this someday” into “I actually use this every day.”

The Scam Side Reader’s Digest Didn’t Cover

This is the section I most wanted to write, because it’s missing from the Reader’s Digest piece and it’s the single most important AI topic for our age group. The same technology that lets AI write you a friendly recipe or summarize a confusing letter is also being used right now by criminals — and older adults are the favorite target.

• Voice cloning scams: With as little as ten or fifteen seconds of audio — pulled from a voicemail greeting, a Facebook video, a church livestream — scammers can now generate a near-perfect copy of a loved one’s voice. The classic version: you get a panicked call that sounds exactly like your grandchild saying they’ve been in an accident and need money wired immediately. What to do: hang up and call the person back on the number you already have for them. Always.
• AI-powered romance and friendship scams: Scammers now use AI to write fluent, attentive, emotionally tuned-in messages on dating sites and social media — at scale, around the clock. Anyone you have only met online who eventually asks for money — gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency — is running this script. No exceptions.
• Deepfake video and image scams: AI now generates fake videos of public figures endorsing investment schemes, fake charities, or miracle health products. If you see a familiar face pitching something that feels too good to be true on Facebook or YouTube, slow down. The face may not be real, even if it looks completely convincing.

My Top 3 Takeaways from the Article

The Bottom Line

The fact that Reader’s Digest is now publishing AI guides tells me we’ve reached a tipping point. This technology isn’t going away, and it isn’t just for young people or tech workers. It is for anyone who wants to save time, stay curious — and stay safe.

But reading about AI and actually using AI are two very different things. If this article — or the Reader’s Digest piece that inspired it — left you curious but unsure where to start, that is exactly what SilverIntelligence.ai exists to help with.

Take the Next Step

Join the AI Scams 2026 Workshop — a friendly, in-person and virtual session designed specifically for adults 60+. We cover everything in the scam section above and give you hands-on time with AI in a safe setting.

Or take the free AI Readiness Assessment on this site to see where you stand, and book a free 30-minute conversation with me to map out your first few steps. You don’t need to become an expert. You just need someone to show you the first few steps.

Inspired by “Making Friends with AI” by Sage Lazzaro, Reader’s Digest, April/May 2026 — available at newsstands and on rd.com.