AI for seniors: a plain-English UK guide
You don't need to be good with computers to use an AI helper. If you can send a text message, you can do this. This guide walks through a safe way to start, what it's genuinely useful for, and how to stay in control.
1. Start with one small thing
Pick one job you'd normally phone someone about — a tricky letter, a form you don't understand, a birthday message. Type it as if you were texting a helpful neighbour. There's nothing to break and nobody is judging your spelling.
INSTEAD OF“Help me.”
TRY“Help me write a short letter asking my council to fix the street light outside my house. It's been off for three weeks.”
2. Ask in your own words
No special commands needed. If the answer is too long, say "shorter please". If it's confusing, say "explain that more simply" or "explain it like I'm new to this". You can also ask it to use bigger, clearer sentences and to skip jargon.
3. Keep the chat going
It remembers what you said in the same conversation, so you don't have to repeat yourself. Just ask the next thing: "now make it more polite", "what should I say if they refuse?", "write that as a text to my daughter".
4. Ask it to spot the scams
If a text, email or letter feels off, paste it in and ask whether it looks like a scam. This alone is worth a lot: fake bank texts, fake HMRC calls and doorstep fraud cost UK older people millions every year. Alice has a free scam checker you can use without an account.
5. Check anything official, always
An AI can sound confident and still be wrong. For money, health, benefits, pensions or the law, use it to understand your options first — then check with the real source: GOV.UK, NHS 111, your bank, Age UK or Citizens Advice. Alice is not a doctor, a lawyer or a financial adviser, and it will say so.
Never share
- • Passwords, PINs, one-time codes or passcodes: no genuine person or service will ever ask for these.
- • Card, bank or account numbers, or photos of bills and statements. Describe the problem in words instead — Alice will refuse card and account numbers anyway.
- • Your National Insurance number, or anyone else's personal details.
Genuinely useful for
- Writing and tidying letters — to the council, the doctor's surgery, an energy company or a landlord
- Explaining official letters and forms in plain English
- Drafting messages you'd rather not send off the cuff, to family or to a company
- Checking whether a text, email or phone call looks like a scam
- Planning meals for one and shopping lists
- Reminders to prepare for an appointment — what to ask, what to take
- A patient answer at any hour, when ringing someone feels like a lot
Not for
- Medical advice. For symptoms, call your GP or NHS 111; in an emergency call 999.
- Financial decisions on its own. Free help exists: Citizens Advice, Pension Wise, Money Helper.
- Replacing people. It's a tool, not company — your friends, family and local groups still matter.
Three tips from people who've started
- • Type how you speak. Full sentences, half sentences, spelling mistakes — all fine.
- • If it gets something wrong, just say so. It doesn't take offence and will try again.
- • Take your time. There's no charge per question on the free plan and nothing to cancel.
Try it now, free
You can ask Alice one question on the home page without signing up. A free account gives you 10 messages a day, no card needed. Your chats stay on your own device and are never stored on our computers (the one exception: a Deep Work job, held for 1 week, then wiped). If anything feels wrong, just close the page.
Alice is an AI, not a person. Its answers can be wrong, so check anything important with GOV.UK, the NHS, your bank or a trusted advice service such as Age UK or Citizens Advice.