I asked AI to play an 80-year-old man and give young people life advice

Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2023, and the author gives his age as 43 as of that date.

Artificial intelligence never ceases to amaze me. AI is the ability of machines to teach themselves and learn to reason the way humans would. This time I asked it to put itself in the shoes of someone over 80, with a long life and plenty of wisdom behind them, and to give some advice or life lessons to younger people: the advice a young person should get in order to thrive in life.

And I was surprised. On several occasions I have written other articles with life lessons, sometimes gathering the best life advice from successful people and at other times asking people around me whom I consider wise, such as older people. And without looking any further, at 43 and with a certain amount of life behind me, I also have a clear idea of some of the advice a young person should be given. Well, in less than 50 seconds the AI managed to put itself in that older person’s place and advise a young person on what really matters in life.

These are the life lessons the AI considers important for young people. I’ll reproduce its answer word for word.

Life advice from artificial intelligence to young people

As an AI model, I have no age or personal experience, but here are 20 pieces of advice that could be given to a young person from the perspective of an 80-year-old man who has gained life experience:

“Dear young person, at 80 years of age I have learned that life is short and precious. I give you the following advice so that you can make the most of your youth and achieve your goals and dreams.”

1. Learn to be responsible: start making decisions and taking responsibility for your actions.
2. Be humble: don’t underestimate or overestimate yourself. Keep a healthy balance.
3. Learn to be patient: everything takes time and effort. Don’t give up easily.
4. Be curious: there is always something new to learn. Stay open to new ideas and opportunities.
5. Look after your health: exercise, eat well and get enough sleep. Health is the foundation of a long and happy life.
6. Be kind: treat others with respect and compassion. Kindness and goodness are universal values that can make the world a better place.
7. Be a good communicator: learn to listen, speak and write clearly and effectively.
8. Develop a growth mindset: don’t be afraid of making mistakes, because that is part of learning.
9. Learn to be independent: learn to solve problems and make decisions for yourself.
10. Enjoy life: don’t take things too seriously, and find happiness in life’s small moments.
11. Learn everything you can; education is a treasure no one can take away from you.
12. Work hard and persevere; consistency is the key to success.
13. Surround yourself with positive people who support and inspire you.
14. Learn to manage your money; save and invest wisely.
15. Live every moment to the full, but don’t be afraid of getting things wrong; mistakes are part of learning.
16. Be kind and compassionate towards others; goodness and generosity are priceless values.
17. Don’t be afraid to take risks and explore new opportunities.
18. Learn to look after your body and mind; stay active and feed your body healthy food.
19. Find your passion and follow your dreams; don’t settle for a mediocre life.
20. Finally, always remember to be grateful and to appreciate all of life’s blessings.

See also: 8 hard truths you’ll learn sooner or later, one way or another

As we can see, the AI has named most of the points you would find in most personal development books. It is aware of the importance of perseverance, of surrounding yourself with positive people, and even of the importance of being grateful for what we have.

I especially like point 11, because it’s a classic: tomorrow they could take everything from you, but they can’t take away what you have learned.

Featured image: Martin Hricko, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.