Inside Singapore’s AI Class for Seniors: Patience and Prompts

Singapore’s senior citizens are learning to chat with AI — one WhatsApp prompt at a time. At a digital skills workshop in a neighbourhood community space, 16 seniors gathered around tablets and smartphones to explore generative AI tools, guided by volunteer peer instructors in their 70s. The class, run by Singapore’s SG Digital Office in partnership with a social organisation, is part of a nationwide effort to ensure no generation is left behind as AI transforms daily life.

The instructors are called Digital Ambassadors — older adults who first learn the tools themselves, then teach their peers. Raymond Kan, 72, joined the programme as a learner in 2025, starting with mobile polling and location sharing before progressing to medical booking and eventually AI. Now he volunteers as a teacher. “These apps change too quickly,” he said. “I also struggle to keep up. I just keep learning.” David Lee, 69, another ambassador, estimates that a 45-minute session where seniors absorb 30 to 40 percent of the material is a success. The goal, he says, is not mastery but comfort.

The barriers seniors face are revealing. Rapid UI changes confuse literal-minded users — an AI app icon that changed from a closed ring to a circle of purple leaves left participants unable to find it. Fear of pressing the wrong button and “losing everything” is common. One participant in his 80s with mild Alzheimer’s needed about 20 sessions to master sending a sticker. “He improved slowly,” Lee said. “But he kept coming. His children and grandchildren were either studying or working. He felt cooped up at home. He came here and made friends. Learning came second.”

The course covers AI literacy as much as technical skill. Participants discussed how AI-generated images can be misleading — a hybrid cat-dog animal that “does not exist” — and learned that AI pulls from the internet and does not represent objective truth. The hands-on exercise used Meta AI accessed via WhatsApp: “Give me the top 10 best chicken rice in Singapore.” The results sparked a lively group discussion about whether the recommendations were trustworthy. Voice input was encouraged over typing to lower the technical barrier.

Why it matters for Singapore: Singapore’s ambition to become an AI-empowered economy only works if adoption is inclusive. Programmes like these tackle digital exclusion at the demographic level where it matters most. With a rapidly ageing population, ensuring seniors feel confident using AI tools — and can distinguish real from generated content — is not a nice-to-have. It is a prerequisite for a truly AI-ready society. The peer-teaching model, where Digital Ambassadors in their 70s train learners in their 80s, is a template worth scaling.