Learning about Artificial Intelligence

I am taking a class on “Practical Uses of AI” at OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at North Carolina State University). Along with 32 other older adults, we are learning about how Artificial Intelligence can be helpful to us as we navigate the Web. Here is an assignment I completed. I used AI to evaluate one of my Blog posts. I found the exercise helpful and thought I would share the results. 

It’s Never Too Late for Old Dogs to Break Old Habits

Posted August 19, 2015

Yesterday, my husband and I decided to discontinue our subscription to the New Yorker magazine that we had for over 50 years. We found that the weekly issues were piling up on our coffee table more frequently than ever before. Current news had become outdated stories. We didn’t have any interest in checking out the well-written fiction or scanning the cartoons that always entertained us. Not that the New Yorkers haven’t piled up in the past, but whenever we talked about dropping the subscription, we couldn’t follow through. This time was different. We gathered the journals in a pile and recycled them en masse. Surprisingly, it was easy to do.  

Unsubscribing to the New Yorker magazine could be looked at as an effort to no longer define ourselves as Yankees. We’ve had a southern address for almost 30 years. While I haven’t totally lost my New Jersey accent, I’ve come to love collard greens, pimento cheese, and grits, along with the warm hospitality of our Southern neighbors. Two of our three grandsons were born south of the Mason-Dixon line. 

Not that the reason to ditch the New Yorkers was a statement that we relinquish all things northern. The more pressing reason was to move on to the present. Especially at our advanced age. We no longer need to continue with the habits that we have historically carried around with us. How much time do my husband and I, both in our 80’s, have before we depart this mortal coil? Holding on to past habits takes away time these old dogs to learn new tricks. 

I hope it’s just the beginning. We’ll try in the future to be aware of what we do that is repetitious and prevents a new path of action or thought. 

It’s never too late. 

ChatGPT said:

This is a lovely, reflective, and poignant essay — short but layered with meaning. Let’s break down the analysis in four parts: content, structure, style, and themes & tone.

🌿 Content

Your essay uses a simple act — canceling The New Yorker subscription — as a metaphor for letting go of the past and embracing change in later life. That’s powerful. You turn a small domestic moment into a meditation on identity, aging, adaptation, and renewal.

There’s a graceful balance between nostalgia (the memories of reading, northern roots, decades of habit) and forward-thinking acceptance (recognizing that change, even late in life, can be liberating).

You also subtly layer in regional identity — from “Yankee” to Southerner — to symbolize the broader theme of evolving self-definition.

🧭 Structure

The essay unfolds naturally in four movements:

1. The Decision – Stopping the subscription, described vividly and concretely.
2. The Reflection – What that act represents (shifting identity, geography).
3. The Deeper Meaning – Aging, time, and the need to shed old habits.
4. The Resolution – Hopeful conclusion, embracing awareness and growth.

That progression feels organic and emotionally satisfying. The short final sentence, “It’s never too late,” is an excellent closer — crisp, resonant, and optimistic.

You might tighten the middle slightly for rhythm and clarity, but the structure works beautifully.

✍️ Style & Voice

Your voice is warm, conversational, and self-aware — inviting the reader into a private moment without self-pity. There’s humor and honesty in lines like “Holding on to past habits takes away time these old dogs to learn new tricks.” It gives the essay charm and personality.

A few small stylistic adjustments could polish it:

• In the sentence “Holding on to past habits takes away time these old dogs to learn new tricks,” consider revising for clarity:
  👉 “Holding on to past habits takes away time these old dogs could use to learn new tricks.”
• You could vary sentence length slightly in paragraph three to give it more rhythm, but that’s minor.

💭 Themes & Tone

At its heart, the essay is about:

• Reinvention at any age
• Letting go of identity anchors
• Embracing presence over nostalgia

It’s inspiring without being sentimental. The tone is gentle, thoughtful, and hopeful — perfect for a reflective blog piece.

You could easily link this to your ongoing theme of learning AI later in life — the idea of shedding old habits to stay open to the new — if you wanted it to fit into your larger writing project.

🌟 Overall Impression

This is a quietly powerful personal essay that captures the courage it takes to change late in life.
It’s relatable, elegant, and emotionally true — exactly the kind of writing that makes readers nod and smile in recognition.

🌟 Overall Impression

This is a quietly powerful personal essay that captures the courage it takes to change late in life.
It’s relatable, elegant, and emotionally true — exactly the kind of writing that makes readers nod and smile in recognition.

Would you like me to offer a lightly edited version of the essay (keeping your voice but polishing flow and word choice), or would you prefer a suggested revision outline to guide your own edits?

(I said yes.)

Perfect — here’s a lightly edited version of your essay. I’ve preserved your tone and meaning, but smoothed phrasing, clarified a few sentences, and tightened the flow just a bit.

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Releasing the New Yorker

Yesterday, my husband and I decided to discontinue our subscription to The New Yorker magazine, one we had kept for more than fifty years. The weekly issues were piling up on our coffee table more often than ever. Current news had turned into outdated stories before we could read them. We no longer felt the urge to enjoy the well-written fiction or scan the cartoons that once entertained us.

It’s not that the New Yorkers hadn’t piled up before, but whenever we talked about canceling, we could never follow through. This time was different. We gathered the journals into a single stack and recycled them en masse. Surprisingly, it was easy to do.

Ending our subscription might also be seen as letting go of our identity as Yankees. We’ve had a Southern address for almost thirty years now. While I haven’t completely lost my New Jersey accent, I’ve come to love collard greens, pimento cheese, and grits, along with the warm hospitality of our Southern neighbors. Two of our three grandsons were all born south of the Mason–Dixon line.

Still, our decision wasn’t a rejection of all things Northern. The more pressing reason was to move forward — to live in the present. At our age, we no longer need to cling to habits that have simply become routine. How much time do my husband and I, both in our eighties, have left before we depart this mortal coil? Holding on to old patterns only takes away time these old dogs could use to learn new tricks.

I hope this is just the beginning. From now on, we’ll try to stay aware of what we do that’s repetitious — what might keep us from finding a new path of action or thought.

It’s never too late.

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What do you think of the edited version?