Older Adults Embracing Tech, Using Ai, New Aarp Report Shows

Older adults have become much more involved with technology, and are only continuing to do so.

That’s according to a new technology trends report from AARP. In the survey, researchers queried more than 3,000 respondents. 

According to the findings, texting is the primary form of communication for adults aged 50 and up, and the average number of devices they have has nearly doubled in less than a decade, increasing from four in 2016 to seven in 2025.

Almost all of the surveyed older adults, 99%, own at least one technology device. Almost all, 90%, said they have a smartphone, while more than three-quarters said they have a smart TV and another 70% reporting they have a laptop.

More older adults also are using AI platforms, according to the report. AI usage has increased from 18% of older adults in 2024 to 30% in 2025. Of those who use AI, 58% interact with specific AI platforms or apps. Older adults use the technology for health monitoring purposes, such as answering health questions or providing health or nutritional guidance, according to the report.

Most AI use comes in the form of a voice personal assistant, such as Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri, with 51% noting they are using or interested in using it.

They are also spending more on technology, with 71% indicating they made a tech purchase within the past year compared to 67% in 2024. The estimated total spent by older adults is around $94.5 billion in 2025, with an average of $756 each.

Most older adults see technology as beneficial for enriching their lives, helping them age in their home and making both daily tasks and aging easier, with a 66% net agreement across the four categories. Notably, the adoption and interest in using technology for “brain health,” or the ability to think, reason and remember, sees a spike in those aged 60-69, with 52% either using or interested in using technology for that purpose.

The report states there is an opportunity for technology industries to “connect innovation to impact.”

“Doing so means designing technology that feels intuitive, trustworthy, and personally meaningful; educating users on the real-world benefits; and demonstrating how digital tools can enhance, rather than replace, the human connections and independence that matter most as people age,” the report’s authors wrote.

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