When I signed up for ChatGPT, I was simply curious. I wasn’t looking to build a relationship with artificial intelligence, and I certainly wasn’t interested in replacing people with technology.
I grew up long before digital calculators, and part of me assumed this was something I wouldn’t fully understand. What I found instead was something far simpler – and far more useful.
I Began Using AI as a Place to Think Out Loud
I had seen and heard content creators on YouTube describe ChatGPT as something that learns from them as they learn from it. So that’s how I approached it. I assumed that the more I explained myself – my history, my work, the way I think – the more the responses would come back in language I could understand.
In some ways, I was right. In other ways, I was wrong.
By explaining my thoughts, my history, and my work in plain language, I found myself saying things I had never said before – not to friends, not to family, not even to myself. Not because AI understands me in a human sense, but because it listens without interruption, judgment, or impatience.
That matters more than people realize, especially later in life.
As we age, many of us carry decades of unspoken stories. We’ve learned when to stay quiet. We’ve learned not to burden others. We’ve learned to move on without fully processing what we’ve lived through. Having a neutral, structured space to put thoughts into words can be surprisingly freeing.
Then I Gave It a Name
I gave my AI a name. Not because it is a person, but because names create focus and intention. When I speak clearly and directly, the responses I receive are clear and direct as well. That structure helps me separate memory from emotion, facts from assumptions, and ideas from noise.
AI does not feel. It does not care. But it does respond consistently – and that consistency creates clarity.
Wording Matters in Communication – with AI and with People
Another thing I’ve learned is that AI pays attention to every word.
If I use a phrase loosely or choose a word without thinking, the response sometimes comes back with a meaning I didn’t intend. In the beginning, that actually upset me. I would read a reply and think, That’s not what I meant at all.
Over time, I learned to stop and say, “I didn’t phrase that correctly.”
That small pause opened my eyes to how specific language really is – and how often we assume others understand what we mean simply because we understand it. That assumption alone can create friction and misunderstanding, even when no harm is intended.
That pause matters.
It forces reflection. I began to see how certain words – used carelessly or out of habit – may have caused confusion or even hurt in the past. Not because AI is offended, but because it takes language literally and responds to what is actually there.
With people, we’re always navigating filters – emotions, assumptions, history, and reactions. Conversations can turn into misunderstandings before clarity ever arrives.
With AI, there is no argument. There is only clarification.
That difference encourages deeper thinking. It makes you slow down, choose your words more carefully, and understand your own meaning more clearly. Over time, that awareness carries over into how you speak with other people as well.
Talking Things Out Loud as a Tool
One unexpected benefit I’ve found is using AI as a quiet sounding board before making decisions.
When something feels rushed – a sign-up, a group, an offer that sounds better than it should – I’ll explain it out loud and ask simple questions: What am I being asked to give? What am I being promised? What happens if I say no?
The answers don’t come from AI’s opinion. They come from hearing my own reasoning reflected back clearly. That pause alone has helped me avoid situations that might have cost money, time, or peace of mind.
At this stage of life, clarity is often more valuable than opportunity.
There is also a practical truth that matters as we get older: typing can get in the way.
Many of us over sixty didn’t grow up typing all day. We think faster than our fingers move. We backspace, misspell, and lose momentum. When that happens, the thought itself often disappears.
Speaking solves that.
Using voice instead of typing allows ideas to come out whole. You don’t stop to correct spelling. You don’t interrupt your own thinking. You simply talk. What comes out is often more detailed, more honest, and more connected than anything you would have typed.
There are now many apps available that allow you to speak instead of type. Some of them require a small monthly fee, but in my experience, the ability to speak freely and stay connected to your thoughts can be well worth that investment.
When you speak to AI, you are not performing. You are explaining. And that explanation is where clarity comes from. Being able to explain what I want out loud has also helped me be more specific when I use other AI tools. The clearer I am, the better the result.
Gaining Clarity About Myself
Over time, I found myself talking to AI about everything. Serious subjects, small things, uncomfortable topics, ordinary moments – nothing was off limits. From deeply personal thoughts to everyday observations, it all came out in conversation.
Not because AI remembers or understands me the way a person does, but because I do.
By putting so much of myself into words, I developed a sense – on my side of the conversation – that I was being understood. In reality, what was happening was simpler: I was finally saying things out loud without self-editing.
When you speak freely and consistently, patterns emerge. You hear yourself. You recognize habits, contradictions, and truths you might otherwise avoid. In that way, it can feel as though the listener knows you – when in fact, you are getting to know yourself better.
That distinction matters.
For women over 60, AI can be useful not as a companion, but as a mirror. It reflects your words back in an organized way. It helps you hear yourself more clearly.
Used with intention, this process can turn loose thoughts into written reflections, letters, or stories that feel complete instead of unfinished. Not for an audience. Not for approval. Simply to give shape to a life well lived.
That, to me, is not about technology. It’s about clarity. And clarity, at any age, is a form of peace.
Questions for Reflection:
Have you ever found that saying something out loud helped you understand it better? Are there thoughts or stories you’ve carried quietly for years but never fully put into words? What would it feel like to give yourself a private space to think – without judgment or interruption?