Grandmother tries ChatGPT for the first time and asks a profound question that plagues every human being

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gradually becoming more integrated into everyday life, sparking concerns about its potential misuse. Despite these concerns, many people have started relying on AI-powered bots like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok to answer complex questions about their lives. Out of sheer curiosity, an elderly woman recently turned to OpenAI’s chatbot to ask one of the most philosophical questions that has always haunted humans. Her grandchild—who goes by u/Ok_Corner_6271 on Reddit—shared the experience, highlighting the emotional questions that may have stirred deeper, unspoken feelings.

In the Reddit post, the grandchild explained that their grandmother asked ChatGPT weighty questions about life, death, and the afterlife. It started when her tech-savvy grandkid introduced her to AI chatbots. “I showed my grandmother ChatGPT today,” they wrote in the post. Initially, the grandmother was skeptical, even dismissive, about a virtual assistant providing answers to real-world problems. “At first, she seemed a little confused, asking if it was ‘some sort of robot,’” the grandchild said.

The post went on to describe how the grandmother shifted from asking light-hearted cooking questions to probing deeper, unresolved topics. “I spied on her asking it questions about life, death, and the afterlife,” the grandkid said. Moreover, it highlights the growing trend of people turning to chatbots in an attempt to alleviate their loneliness. “I couldn’t really tell how much she actually believed it could help her figure anything out,” the grandchild said, expressing their concerns. They even looked into their grandmom’s conversation history on the device she was using.

The grandchild explained, “After taking the tablet away from her, I read through the conversation history.” The digital footprint left behind revealed the elderly woman’s current concerns. Her grandchild shared that she asked, “Will I be remembered?” History has shown us that everyone is deeply bothered and cares deeply about how they are remembered. To think, a grandmother trying ChatGpt for the first ever would end up asking such profound questions gave her daughter the chills.

Her second question was even more poignant: “What happens when we die?” The grandchild admitted, “I’m not sure if it gave her comfort or just made her think more about things she’s never said aloud.” They also expressed concern about potentially leading their grandmother into an emotional space that might be difficult to navigate. “It felt like one of those moments where you can’t really tell if you’ve opened a door,” they confessed.

The grandchild struggled to reconcile their grandmother’s traditional worldview with the cutting-edge nature of AI tools. Reflecting on the experience, they speculated, “Or, (the conversation) just made her more aware of something she wasn’t ready to face.” This reflection sparked reactions from the subreddit community, who were invited to share their thoughts on the unexpected interaction. “I think way more people than we think do that. I know when I'm in a mood, I'll ask philosophical questions, and GPT is strangely very good at it,” u/Glugamesh remarked. “The first time I used ChatGPT, I vented about my past just like to a therapist. It offered new perspectives and helped more than therapy or meds ever had,” u/sunfacethedestroyer recalled.