Talk instead of type when your hands make the keyboard hard
In AARP Research interviews, a participant named Carolyn said rheumatoid arthritis makes typing hard, so she uses her voice to make lists and get answers from AI. "That really helps me greatly," she said.
What they did
Instead of typing, she speaks to an AI tool to create lists and ask questions, then gets the response back.
How it went
In her words: "Because of my rheumatoid arthritis, my fingers are disfigured … so sometimes I don't want to be on a keyboard. … I just want to talk and get a response back with AI. So that really helps me greatly."
Worth knowing
Many AI apps on phones have a microphone button, and some have a full voice-conversation mode. Voice input can mishear names and numbers, so read the list back before you rely on it. In public, others can overhear you, so keep private details out.
Try it yourself
Copy this into AI assistant (not named in the source) (or any AI assistant). Replace the parts in [brackets] with your own details.
(Tap the microphone and say:) I'm going to talk through what I need to do this week. Turn it into a short checklist grouped by day, with the most important items first. Then read it back to me so I can fix anything you misheard. Here goes: [say your list out loud].
Source: AgeTech Collaborative from AARP (AARP Research participant Carolyn), AgeTech Collaborative from AARP, Oct 8, 2026. Read the original →
From a published research paper. Summarized in our own words. Spotted a mistake or want this removed? Tell us.