# OpenAI and AARP launch road tour to teach older Americans how to use AI against scams

Digest AI · Society & Work · published 2026-09-16T02:12:00Z · updated 2026-09-16T22:09:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/openai-and-aarp-launch-road-tour-to-teach-older-americans-how-to-use-ai-against

## Summary

OpenAI is teaming with AARP to roll out a mobile “Digital Discovery Lab” that will visit ten U.S. cities starting Sept. 16.  The pop‑up workshops, run with Senior Planet and Older Adults Technology Services, aim to give seniors hands‑on practice using ChatGPT to verify suspicious calls, emails and websites.  OpenAI’s internal report released the same day says roughly 24.7 million people worldwide turn to ChatGPT each day for scam‑checking, but only 1.9 % of users over 64 do so weekly, the second‑lowest rate among age groups.

The tour follows a spike in online fraud targeting people over 60, highlighted by FBI data and a Pew study showing 76 % of adults 45‑64 have encountered a scam.  OpenAI’s scams‑detection lead Jack Stubbs notes that the platform processes over 130 million scam checks a week—about 200 per second—and that educating older users could reduce their vulnerability.  By bringing AI tools directly to rural and urban senior communities, the initiative seeks to bridge the digital‑age gap and empower a demographic that is often left behind in the AI conversation.

## Key points

- OpenAI and AARP will visit 10 U.S. cities with a mobile lab to train seniors on using ChatGPT for scam detection
- Only 1.9% of ChatGPT users over 64 check scams weekly, despite 76% of 45‑64 adults reporting scam experiences
- OpenAI reports 130 million weekly scam checks on ChatGPT, roughly 200 checks per second

## Why it matters

Equipping older adults with AI‑driven fraud detection tools can cut financial losses for a high‑risk group and demonstrates responsible AI outreach beyond product launches.

## Sources

1. [Exclusive: OpenAI launches road tour to educate older Americans on AI](https://usatoday.com/story/tech/2026/09/16/openai-aarp-ai-scam-road-tour/91781681007) (usatoday.com, 2026-09-16)
2. [OpenAI Brings AI Scam Training to Older Americans](https://ibtimes.co.uk/openai-aarp-ai-training-older-americans-scam-awareness-1820403) (ibtimes.co.uk, 2026-09-16)
3. [Helping older adults use AI in everyday life](https://openai.com/index/helping-older-adults-use-ai-in-everyday-life) (OpenAI, 2026-09-10, primary source)

Part of the developing story: [OpenAI Expands Reach Through Senior Safety Tours](https://digestai.news/thread/openai-cofounder-greg-brockman-reveals-1-5-b-tried-chatgpt) (2 stories)

## Cite

Digest AI, "OpenAI and AARP launch road tour to teach older Americans how to use AI against scams", 16 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/openai-and-aarp-launch-road-tour-to-teach-older-americans-how-to-use-ai-against

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