Risks, Costs, Inhibition: What Makes Seniors Wary Of AI

AI solutions can help senior citizens directly and indirectly, but India's hesitant elderly don't seem ready to embrace them yet

- Versha Jain

AI is impacting the lives of every age group differently. While youngsters and middle-aged people are using AI to enhance their knowledge, complete tasks faster, and find structured information, senior citizens are much less engaged. The crux lies in the absence of digital adoption among them.

According to a report titled, India's Ageing Society: The Landscape Today released in March 2025 by Give Grants, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) tech platform, less than 20 per cent of the elderly in India are digitally literate, and 59 elderly lack access to digital devices.

Niti Aayog's position paper, Reforms In India Senior Care: Reimagining the Senior Care Paradigm, released in 2024, also highlights the digital divide among the elderly. Citing the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data, it says that only 13 per cent of people over 60 years of age have ever used the Internet.

Clearly, there's a digital divide not just among the elderly, but also between generations, which can potentially lead to complicated relationships and even isolation for seniors. As the younger generation embraces technology and makes it an integral part of their lives, seniors who avoid it risk growing distant from the younger generation.

What's Stopping Seniors?

There are various reasons why seniors are reluctant to adopt technology; some of these have deterred even those who started using technology in a small way.

Digital And AI Fraud: The biggest and a valid concern is safety and trustworthiness. Multiple media reports have highlighted cases where seniors have become victims of fraud, misuse, and scams they do not have any understanding of.

AI-based features, such as deepfakes only feed to their fears. "Data privacy risk and financial scams pose a challenge as seniors may not understand consent or security," says Himanshu Rath, founder, Agewell Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation.