Fascinated with the rapidly emerging technology of ChatGPT, I wanted to check it out. What would it do with a general question about aging parents, my field of expertise? The technology is free and opening an account is simple. But how good is the information it generates? It is not a thinking being. It’s a general data resource. It uses all available knowledge on the internet to come up with answers to questions posed to it.
We already know that this technology can be astonishingly fast and give good responses, but it also makes mistakes and can give completely false information. Apparently the industry that developed this calls the fake answers “hallucination”. Well, was it going to hallucinate the answer to my basic request?
I tested it with this question:
What are the top three things adult children need to do to prepare for their parents’ aging?
Below, italicized, is the 100% ChatGPT generated response.
When preparing for their parents’ aging, adult children should consider the following top three things:
- Open and Honest Communication: Establishing open and honest communication with parents is crucial. Discuss their wishes, concerns, and expectations regarding aging, health, and long-term care. This dialogue helps create a shared understanding of their needs and allows for proactive planning.
- Financial and Legal Planning: Help parents organize their finances and legal affairs. This may involve reviewing their savings, retirement plans, insurance policies, wills, and powers of attorney. Encourage them to consult with a financial advisor and an elder law attorney to ensure their assets are protected, and appropriate arrangements are in place for their care.
- Care and Support Network: Building a strong care and support network is essential. Research local resources, such as home healthcare agencies, assisted living facilities, and senior centers, and explore options that align with your parents’ preferences and needs. Additionally, consider involving siblings and other family members in sharing responsibilities, or explore professional caregiving services if required.
Remember, each family’s situation is unique, and these steps should be adapted to individual circumstances. Regular reassessment and adjustment are necessary as the aging process unfolds and needs change.
My Critique Of The ChatGPT-Generated Response
The information the AI provides in answer to my question could be helpful but it contains several misleading statements and some errors. It is very general, and does not speak to any difficulty with any of the top three things it suggests. Worst of all, it ignores a serious problem that affects at least one in three aging parents who reach 85 years of age—dementia. Everyone with aging loved ones needs to at least consider this risk and understand the implications of the disease that currently affects at least six million people in the U.S. alone. Being informed about it should be among the top three things adult children need to do to prepare for a parent’s aging.
My larger concern is that once the public begins to use it to answer questions , they would rely on it as if it were providing enough of an answer. It suggests in this example to get financial and legal advice. But that costs and the answer from ChatGPT is free. That is a problem. From this example, it is definitely not enough to get a general and generic response that misses what an expert would say are essential parts of a proper answer.
The Takeaways
- ChatGPT is new and has bugs. It sometimes gives totally false information. It’s fine to ask it a question and see a response, but don’t count on it being completely accurate.
- It can’t take the place, at least at present, of the judgment of the very folks it suggests one see: an elder law attorney and a financial advisor. AI does not have empathy or compassion for you, your aging loved ones nor anyone, regardless of what words it pushes out.
- Do not expect a complete answer to a question you ask. You will get an instant, generic response which is likely to be less than specific to your particular situation. Since you don’t know the source of the information, you can’t verify any of it.
- If you have worries about the road ahead with your aging parents, go to a human being with the needed skills and get your personalized answers there. Slower that ChatGPT? For sure. Better and more reliable than ChatGPT? Most probably. It’s not free, but I suggest the cost of personal expertise is well worth it for peace of mind no artificial intelligence can offer you.