Vibe coding at 78: retiree builds AI tools and teaches seniors

A 78-year-old former tech consultant learned vibe coding and built simple AI web apps, including tools for monitoring AEDs, and now teaches AI to residents in assisted living who use it for newsletters and everyday tasks.

I am a 78-year-old semi-retired technology consultant who still works on tech projects for fun and teaches AI to seniors. My technology career began with IBM in the late 1970s and included consulting for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta through 2024. When ChatGPT became available I started exploring it, then learned vibe coding and used a full-stack platform called Emergent to build apps without needing back-end help. I have created a number of small apps, including tools for an AED company and an AI voice web app, and I now run classes for residents in assisted living. Core details: - The retiree worked at IBM in the late 1970s and consulted for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta from 2015 to 2024. - He began experimenting with ChatGPT and, about six to eight months after vibe coding gained attention, learned a full-stack vibe-coding platform called Emergent. - Using that approach he built multiple apps, including one that extracts camera-provider data for an AED company and a web-based AI voice app to query AED status. - A CEO who saw a demo reacted positively, and students in assisted living have adopted AI for resident newsletters and image creation. - In classes he explained hardware concepts at a high level, created an AI-made video on semiconductor history for a 100-year-old student named Sue, and showed residents how to use AI for shopping and identifying plants and birds. Summary: His work has led several assisted-living residents to adopt AI for practical tasks like writing newsletters, creating images and identifying plants. He continues to build small AI web apps and teach classes; future plans beyond ongoing teaching and experimentation are undetermined at this time.